Shutdowns at work?

[wyverary]

Any good employer, I think, knows that they'll get the best out of their employees if they can figure out what they are good at and how they operate and what methods work best for them. It makes for a healthy and productive work force. Whether or not they specifically suspect AS, in doing this they are showing you that you are valued and that they want to work with you as best as possible.

 

[Kari Suttle]

Any good employer, I think, knows that they'll get the best out of their employees if they can figure out what they are good at and how they operate and what methods work best for them. It makes for a healthy and productive work force. Whether or not they specifically suspect AS, in doing this they are showing you that you are valued and that they want to work with you as best as possible.

Ahh okay thanks. I was wondering if it was just something good managers are supposed to pick up on and work with. =) Sorry for not replying before now, i swear i thought I did. I have work tonight and hopefully it will go well. The holiday season can be crazy and i haven't been in the best mindset lately. I have a problem with taking any mistake i make at work or customer that leaves my line upset way too personally.

 

[Chew Magna]

If you have a metabolic disability, such as diabetes, you might be able to get a bit more accommodation. No employer wants to be sued by an employee for going into diabetic shock or a diabetic coma.

My experience with health issues and jobs is that the company would rather terminate you, or force you out, before having to worry about accommodations. This has happened to me at three separate jobs due to my back and heart problems. Four back injuries at two jobs, one fired me, the other told me I had to voluntarily quit. The other (a large company everyone knows of with a yellow smiley face in their commercials), refused accommodations for my back issues, even when I made it plainly clear upon hiring that I had a condition.

As to the OP, I completely understand what you're going through. I've dealt with this for years, only I didn't know the cause until recently. I get stressed and out to the point that either everyone is upset with me and I'm terminated, or I end up walking out of the job. It doesn't really help that most of the jobs I've held fall under the "bad for aspie's" category. But I didn't even know this was a thing, I thought I just couldn't deal with people. Now I know, and I'm also on the hunt for a new job, so maybe I can finally find something that fits what I'm dealing with.

 

[Kari Suttle]

As to the OP, I completely understand what you're going through. I've dealt with this for years, only I didn't know the cause until recently. I get stressed and out to the point that either everyone is upset with me and I'm terminated, or I end up walking out of the job...

Thanks for the reply Chew Magna. I have to work today and i'm in an iffy mood today...anxiety is bothering me and i don't know why. Its been ages - well it seems like its been ages - since it bothered me. I'm assuming its stress. Lots going on. I don't know how i'm gonna deal with work tonight, Fridays are usually busy. I have issues with being sensitive to sound and normally its not a problem but at random times its like my head has reached its limit that it can hyperfocus and block it out for me and at that point i'll just hear everything and its sensory overload instantly for no real reason. Normally i just get nervous and i'm fine, i've learned to deal with it. But i've been anxious all day so i can only hope it'll be slow tonight. I doubt it. Its the holiday season and i work part time as a cashier. Brilliant i know. Plus the people next door have a busted water pipe - i say people but its an empty house that people are about to move into sometime this week. Its got a baaaad water leak, totally ruined the whole house, the floors, etc, and my mom's been going in and out trying to get the city to come by. Idk why they can't do anything about it, its not their house...but her worrying over the house and giong in and out and me having to constantly look over my shoulder cause she'll randomly come in my room and talk about it. I"m just like mom no i need my space i work tonight. I can't even tune out the world and listen to music being anxious that someone will come in and i'll be on here typing and listening to songs and won't know and that would be more than humiliating. No one is supposed to even know i'm on here. Ugh. I can't even get my me time before work and its just making me more anxious. Work's gonna be **** this weekend. =(

 

[Spinning Compass]

Several people have mentioned the ADA and accommodations. I don't know how many people here are familiar with the concept of "at-will" employment, but basically what it means is that if you live in an "at-will" state or equivalent, there are plenty of legal ways an employer can get around the ADA. If you go that route, claiming that you need accommodations for your condition, and you live in an "at-will" state or equivalent, you better make sure your work record is squeaky clean. Don't be late, don't take more time on breaks and lunch than you are allowed, you get the picture. They may not be able to openly fire you because you have a disability but they can fire you for other reasons, and in fact, may be willing to provide accommodations just so they can tell the judge that they did everything reasonably possible but it just didn't work out. In my opinion that is a risky card to play and especially if you are in an unskilled job where you can be easily replaced. My experience with lawyers is that if you don't have any money then you are wasting their time. Most people don't have the resources to fight companies and companies know it. So it basically boils down to two choices, accept the situation as it is where you are, or start (quietly) looking for something else. With no guarantee that you will find better conditions elsewhere.

 

[Chew Magna]

Music has always been a getaway for me too, but almost turned into an evil by itself. As a kid I started playing music in my head to get away from things, but leave me present enough that I could still somewhat function. I say it turned into it's own evil because for many years now I haven't been able to turn it off. I always, ALWAYS, have something playing in my head. Most of the time it's a comfort, but it does get frustrating sometimes.

I know what it's like to deal with the stress of being a cashier. My last two jobs were sales, actually interacting with the customers as a salesman, plus working as a cashier. You can imagine how that worked out. I actually hyperventilated more than once while working directly with customers on the sales floor. The best thing I can say is maybe look for a different type of work (just as advice, I'm not saying GO GET A NEW JOB NOW lol). I'm in that situation right now, I have my eyes on something in a private firm with medical records, which sounds like something I might actually be able to handle.

 

[Kari Suttle]

Several people have mentioned the ADA and accommodations. I don't know how many people here are familiar with the concept of "at-will" employment, but basically what it means is that if you live in an "at-will" state or equivalent, there are plenty of legal ways an employer can get around the ADA. If you go that route, claiming that you need accommodations for your condition, and you live in an "at-will" state or equivalent, you better make sure your work record is squeaky clean. Don't be late, don't take more time on breaks and lunch than you are allowed, you get the picture. They may not be able to openly fire you because you have a disability but they can fire you for other reasons, and in fact, may be willing to provide accommodations just so they can tell the judge that they did everything reasonably possible but it just didn't work out. In my opinion that is a risky card to play and especially if you are in an unskilled job where you can be easily replaced. My experience with lawyers is that if you don't have any money then you are wasting their time. Most people don't have the resources to fight companies and companies know it. So it basically boils down to two choices, accept the situation as it is where you are, or start (quietly) looking for something else. With no guarantee that you will find better conditions elsewhere.

Don't worry, I'm not looking for accomodations. I'm not even officially diagnosed. I like where I work, the supervisors are all either nice or fairly alright and some of them have picked up on a few things on their own. I'm staying where I am because in all honesty it could be way worse than it is. Its just me not knowing how to handle my own emotions when something is wrong and i'm at work.

 

[Kari Suttle]

The best thing I can say is maybe look for a different type of work (just as advice, I'm not saying GO GET A NEW JOB NOW lol).

This is just a job to get me through college, really. I don't plan to stay in it long term, just until i get my degree and can get a job using said degree. So since it won't be a long-lasting job anyways, I try to look at it as training for my future job after i get my degree. Its useful and the people at work are all alright, its just me that can't handle things sometimes.

 

[Spinning Compass]

Well, I have had several decades of experience and I still don't always know how to handle emotions at work. I tend to shut down when I feel threatened or otherwise not safe. That's because I never learned how to stand up for my self. When one gets called things like "drama queen" and told that they are overreacting, that's pretty hard to deal with even if you know it is not true. I've been dealing with a situation like that lately but my accuser is getting transferred and I am counting the days!

 

[Chew Magna]

Well, I have had several decades of experience and I still don't always know how to handle emotions at work. I tend to shut down when I feel threatened or otherwise not safe. That's because I never learned how to stand up for my self. When one gets called things like "drama queen" and told that they are overreacting, that's pretty hard to deal with even if you know it is not true. I've been dealing with a situation like that lately but my accuser is getting transferred and I am counting the days!

I get the drama queen a lot too. It isn't intentional, and I don't think that's really it, I think it's just a cop-out phrase used by a lot of people for someone they don't like.