Does Your Employer Know You’re On the Spectrum?

[Harrison]

My employer knows, as do my workmates and no-one treats me any differently as far as I know.

The last company I was at used it to bully and intimidate, hence ex-employer

 

[Mattymatt]

I never know which way to go on this one. If I had a job that I truly loved and could function, I wouldn't risk disclosure of the disability. If I had a job that I could take or leave, I might try it as a social experiment.

 

[Harrison]

In the UK you are required by law to disclose anything that could affect how you function in the workplace. When I told my boss at my interview he asked 'Will it affect the way you do this job?'. My reply was 'Well, it means I'm never late, my vehicle is always clean and tidy, I work by the rules, I'd rather work than take a holiday and I don't take time off unless I'm dying'. His response was 'You'll do'.

I think it's important to not think of AS as a disability, it only becomes a problem when we are put in situations that we know we can't handle. I would never take an office job, for example, as I know I can't function in that environment, yet I worked as a trainer because the subject (trucks) is one of my 'specialities' that I can talk about for hours on end.

 

[Mattymatt]

In the UK you are required by law to disclose anything that could affect how you function in the workplace. When I told my boss at my interview he asked 'Will it affect the way you do this job?'. My reply was 'Well, it means I'm never late, my vehicle is always clean and tidy, I work by the rules, I'd rather work than take a holiday and I don't take time off unless I'm dying'. His response was 'You'll do'.

I think it's important to not think of AS as a disability, it only becomes a problem when we are put in situations that we know we can't handle. I would never take an office job, for example, as I know I can't function in that environment, yet I worked as a trainer because the subject (trucks) is one of my 'specialities' that I can talk about for hours on end.

Wow, that's a tough law! You're required to disclose, yet the company may optionally discriminate or make work life unbearable as a result?

 

[Harrison]

Usually it works in your favour as they are required to give you work that matches your abilities. Obviously some companies could turn you down without referring to the 'real' reason.

 

[Mattymatt]

There is no such requirement here in the states but protections are very weak. The law is really only meant to help people with physical disabilities. Any other disabilities and you are on your own.

 

[icesyckel]

I am an attorney. The partner in our firm directly above me, and the paralegal directly below me, both know of my Dx. They work closely with me, and this has been advantageous. It is difficult to conceal AS/ASD from people you are around on an almost daily basis. I have only been recently Dx'd, but not having the explanation led to "personality conflicts" in the past, and being able to tell those with whom I work the closest has helped them see that my unique personality/behavior is not a reflections of something they did or failed to do.

That said, I don't share my AS with most people. I am already finding that people don't understand and, in their ignorance, make judgments/draw conclusions that are wholly inaccurate and unfair. That is the way the world is. Maybe one day the world will change, but not likely during my lifetime. Because of this, I tell when it is advantageous to do so and conceal when it is advantageous to do so. Cost benefit analysis.

 

[Mattymatt]

I am an attorney. The partner in our firm directly above me, and the paralegal directly below me, both know of my Dx. They work closely with me, and this has been advantageous. It is difficult to conceal AS/ASD from people you are around on an almost daily basis. I have only been recently Dx'd, but not having the explanation led to "personality conflicts" in the past, and being able to tell those with whom I work the closest has helped them see that my unique personality/behavior is not a reflections of something they did or failed to do.

That said, I don't share my AS with most people. I am already finding that people don't understand and, in their ignorance, make judgments/draw conclusions that are wholly inaccurate and unfair. That is the way the world is. Maybe one day the world will change, but not likely during my lifetime. Because of this, I tell when it is advantageous to do so and conceal when it is advantageous to do so. Cost benefit analysis.

You're probably right. It's best left concealed to most people. I guess if you are getting the help you need from a counselor and/or therapist, the diagnosis is immaterial.

 

[icesyckel]

There is no such requirement here in the states but protections are very weak. The law is really only meant to help people with physical disabilities. Any other disabilities and you are on your own.

Actually, in the US, you still have to disclose anything that would prevent you from doing the job "with or without reasonable accommodations" if asked, so it s different but similar. Once a conditional job offer has been made, the employer can ask more detailed questions. And yes, before you ask, I am an attorney. DISCLAIMER: the foregoing is just general information and not legal advice, and no, you may not rely on it without consulting an attorney about any specific case. /DISCLAIMER.

 

[Cerulean]

When I was training to become a tech at my company, I had to tell my supervisor who was in charge of my training. They were training one other guy, with the thinking that one of us would get the first spot available, and the other would get the second spot when there was one. However in order to keep it "fair", they had us both doing the exact same training, which didn't work for my way of learning. I was constantly anxious at work until I had to tell my supervisor. I gave him permission to disclose to the manager if necessary, and he ended up needing to at one point. After that my training was a lot more tailored to my needs, which was great. (We ended up having a second opening at the same time, so both of us got the promotion )

Since then I have switched departments, and disclosed on my application that I had a disability, but nobody has directly asked (not sure it's even legal to). However the managers' offices are about 20 feet away from each other, and I wouldn't be surprised if word had made its way over. Fortunately the position I am in now is even more aspie-friendly, so I haven't had much problem with it.

 

[icesyckel]

You're probably right. It's best left concealed to most people. I guess if you are getting the help you need from a counselor and/or therapist, the diagnosis is immaterial.

It is unfortunate, and it's not what I want, but it is the pragmatic approach. Besides, it's not like it's anyone's business but ours, right? I may seem like a wimp for concealing it, but I prefer to think of myself as judicious. There is a lot of ignorance in the world. Some people think anyone with AS/ASD has the potential to shoot up schools or theaters. Those sort of views are stupid, but they do exist and are sometimes held by those in positions of authority with the power to make your life hell.

 

[Mattymatt]

It is unfortunate, and it's not what I want, but it is the pragmatic approach. Besides, it's not like it's anyone's business but ours, right? I may seem like a wimp for concealing it, but I prefer to think of myself as judicious. There is a lot of ignorance in the world. Some people think anyone with AS/ASD has the potential to shoot up schools or theaters. Those sort of views are stupid, but they do exist and are sometimes held by those in positions of authority with the power to make your life hell.

I don't believe for a New York minute that you're a whimp. One does not become a successful attorney by being a whimp. There are solid reasons for and against disclosure. I battle back and forth as whether or not it is a good idea. Maybe there is a way to subtly disclose this slowly over a period of time? The simple fact is that I've NEVER actually tried revealing it for fear of being marginalized or phased out of employment.

 

[Mattymatt]

Actually, in the US, you still have to disclose anything that would prevent you from doing the job "with or without reasonable accommodations" if asked, so it s different but similar. Once a conditional job offer has been made, the employer can ask more detailed questions. And yes, before you ask, I am an attorney. DISCLAIMER: the foregoing is just general information and not legal advice, and no, you may not rely on it without consulting an attorney about any specific case. /DISCLAIMER.

Well, I guess that makes me very bad for not disclosing - LOL!. I don't really give a hang what the law says on this matter. I will disclose my disability only on my terms.

 

[icesyckel]

I don't believe for a New York minute that you're a whimp. One does not become a successful attorney by being a whimp. There are solid reasons for and against disclosure. I battle back and forth as whether or not it is a good idea. Maybe there is a way to subtly disclose this slowly over a period of time? The simple fact is that I've NEVER actually tried revealing it for fear of being marginalized or phased out of employment.

It is difficult because so many of us have difficulty in reading others. I think I went into law in part b/c I had to practice reading others. A part of that is noting patterns of behavior to tell who can and cannot be trusted. Analysis is an aspie's friend, but make sure you are good at it before relying on it. I carefully weigh who I can tell what, and not just with respect to my Dx...

 

[icesyckel]

Well, I guess that makes me very bad for not disclosing - LOL!. I don't really give a hang what the law says on this matter. I will disclose my disability only on my terms.

Oh agreed- I didn't mean to imply you were doing anything wrong. Just had a personal/professional interest in US v. UK law on the subject.

 

[Mattymatt]

Oh agreed- I didn't mean to imply you were doing anything wrong. Just had a personal/professional interest in US v. UK law on the subject.

Rest assured, I never took it that way. The disability laws are so jacked up here in America that I have a personal axe to grind.

 

[icesyckel]

Rest assured, I never took it that way. The disability laws are so jacked up here in America that I have a personal axe to grind.

Understandable. I have a particular fascination with the competing interests involved. It is potentially one of my "obsessions." I once wrote an amicus brief in a case about privacy rights in workers' compensation cases. I can tell you this much for certain: nothing is as it seems on the surface. The more laws we pass to protect different classes/groups, the more its costs to employ per capita, the fewer jobs are available, especially to those with "disabilities" (for lack of a better term that still applies). It is a fascinating "catch 22" that few really see at first glance. Our efforts to get legislative protection actually have increased unemployment as jobs are shipped to places like India and China where it is less expensive to employ per capita. Ergo, I perceive the most important place to legislate is in the areas of the world where there are few to no protections, thus bringing third world nations into the modern era, rather than focusing on added protections in the more developed nations (at least until there is more equality of protection on a global scale). I don't expect anyone to agree, but if you really want to increase job opportunities for those on the spectrum, the best thing that could happen is to see increased protections in third world countries.

 

[Sagigirl14]

As I was going about my duties today, the question came to mind if others who are employed have shared their respective disorder with their employer. This time last year (give or take a month) I disclosed my diagnosis to our HR Director. Our previous supervisor was making life a living hell for everyone, so three of us filed multi-page complaints. I “casually” mentioned having AS and related some of the challenges it presents, particularly in relationship to dealing with the type of supervisor we had.

She asked if she should disclose it to my director. I said, “No, I’d rather not be labeled as such. I just mentioned it to help you and whoever better understand my difficulties.” By the way, but the problems I had with our previous supervisor had nothing to do with my AS. He was just plain evil. They fired him July 12, 2013.

Anyway, I have noticed a significant change in attitude toward me by our director. He is no longer abusive and even goes out of his way to be friendly. The HR Director said she would not disclose it, but I think she did. My situation at work has been much better since then.

So, if you have disclosed it, has it helped any? If you haven’t disclosed it, have you considered doing so? I’m also curious about the workplace attitude concerning those on the spectrum in different countries.

I noticed that you are in the U.S. and so am I. I have thought about letting someone at my job know I have some issues, but I don't know if I should. I say "issues" because I'm not totally sure I have AS yet. But I think it's a very good possibility. Which is why I have an appointment with my dr this coming week. So I want to make sure I do have it before I say anything, if I decide to that is.

 

[Sagigirl14]

Sadly, it really doesn't exist. I've yet to encounter an employer that truly cares about their employees. Take where I work for example. My coworker had an air-handler fall on his head causing a very nasty gash. He couldn't afford the cost of an ambulance and "policy" prevented anyone from driving him, so he had to drive himself to the hospital with a bleeding head wound. Fortunately he made it without passing out on the way, but that's a good example of how employers operate these days.

Sounds like where I work, (a grocery store). Once it was storming outside and my supervisor told me to stay outside getting carts, despite it lightning outside. Which is stirictly against policy, but she didn't care. I reported it to my higher up boss, but I don't think anything was done about it.

 

[Toponoetikos]

Here's one for you. I found out I have AS because my colleague believed our senior partner and company owner has AS. I asked "what is AS?" After looking into it and coincidentally visiting my older brother I realized I have AS! And no, I have not mentioned this to the owner. We work in a very technical and unusual field so it does not matter so much. Our industry has a lot of "eccentric" people. I suspect that the ratio of Aspies in our field is much higher than normal. My view is that it can be helpful to tell the boss if that boss is sympathetic. If he or she is not then it is better to leave when possible.