Moving beyond ‘superpowers’: why we need a workplace that supports neurodivergent employees

We’ve created a guide on building a culture of inclusion to guide you in support yourself or neurodivergent colleagues and ultimately, build inclusion.

Why inclusion at work matters now more than ever

Many previously undiagnosed people are getting late in life diagnoses, which is a testing  process of unlearning harmful coping mechanisms and re-learning what we take for granted as basic skills. Recent estimates suggest that 1 in 7 people are neurodivergent in the UK, but that will rise alongside awareness. When we spend an average of almost 85,000 hours at work during our lifetimes, it’s important to get it right, or we risk a lot of unhappy, unfulfilled hours.

With the Labour government’s proposed cuts to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) scheme among other welfare cuts, disabled staff face growing uncertainty about financial and workplace support. For many disabled people, there are already huge barriers to gaining work, thriving in work, retaining work and to gaining support. People with disabilities are also more vulnerable to stress, burnout, losing and struggling to maintain jobs.

There are growing numbers of employers who are working towards supporting disabled employees, and now more than ever all employers need to step up.

What does neurodivergent mean? 

The term “neurodivergent” describes people whose brains work differently, meaning they experience unique challenges compared to others. Examples of neurodivergence include autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette’s syndrome, dyscalculia, OCD or bipolar disorder, though this is not an exhaustive list. Neurodivergent people may find workplaces more difficult due to feeling they need to fit in (or “mask”) in environments that aren’t adapted to their needs.

A guide to neurodivergent inclusion at work

How neurodivergent staff can support themselves at work

Ways staff can give themselves what they need, to be able to work in the face of barriers:

• Cultivate permission to rest: Especially when you feel overwhelmed, pressured or like you have too much to do, productivity does not define your worth. Resting before burnout is an act of self-care.
• Identify and enforce your boundaries: And remember, they are necessary for you but you also shouldn’t have to fight for or negotiate them constantly, you have the right to address repeated boundary violations.
• Research available support: Prioritise putting support in place for yourself through Access to Work, Occupational Health, reasonable adjustments, these aren’t “nice to haves,” they are necessities.
• Build a support network around you: Start with your Union, that’s why we are here. Join the Enabling Staff Network and Neurodiversity Network. You may also find allies in supportive managers or colleagues. Having allies can make a huge difference to your confidence and arm you with perspective in case of situations that erode your sense of self worth. 
• Frame accommodations as “best practices,” not “favours”: It’s not about exceptions; it’s about equity.

What shouldn’t be an employee’s responsibility

Where we need to shift responsibility for systemic failure and unreasonable expectations:

1. You shouldn’t have to constantly justify your needs.
   Accommodations should be the default, not something ND employees have to fight for.
2. You shouldn’t have to educate your employer on neurodiversity.
   Workplaces are responsible for training managers & staff, ND people are not responsible for carrying the weight of this themselves.
3. You shouldn’t have to ‘prove’ you need support.
   Workplaces should trust employees when they disclose needs, without endless assessments, hoops, unfair comparison or resistance.
4. You shouldn’t be expected to work in ways that disadvantage you.
   Success should be redefined beyond neurotypical standards—flexibility and different work styles should be normalised.
5. You shouldn’t be the one preventing your own burnout.
   Workplaces must actively discourage urgency culture and ensure sustainable workloads.

How to support neurodivergent colleagues:

Although suggested for supporting ND colleagues, a strong culture of inclusion benefits everyone:

• Uphold reasonable adjustments: Respect reasonable adjustments if you are aware of them.
• Respect boundaries: Encourage a culture of boundary setting and avoid eroding others boundaries.
• Educate yourself: Be patient, flexible and nonjudgmental. Learn about burnout, what it might look like and how to support others in applying the breaks if they need to without guilt.
• Improve your communication: Communicate clearly, and with compassion.
• Create a psychological safe space: For open conversation about obstacles and difficulties, where mistakes are natural opportunities to learn and grow.
• Challenge traditional ideas of productivity: Focus on allowing everyone to achieve their best work, using energy rather than time wisely.  Be aware of the toll that ‘masking’ (hiding/compensating for perceived shortcomings) may have on colleagues and detract from their productivity/energy levels.
• Spot when efficiency or speed becomes a barrier: Resist participation in the false sense of “urgency” in the workplace.
• Be wary of performative inclusion: which might look like claiming to be inclusive, while minimising employee difficulties, gaslighting or bullying.

Pause for thought: What does inclusion look like?

A truly inclusive workplace doesn’t pit ‘business needs’ against accessibility, because accessibility is a business need. If a system only works when disabled employees are excluded or struggling, then it’s the system that needs to change, not the adjustments that need justifying.

Unions are campaigning for inclusivity: Join us

The ability to work with dignity and equal access to opportunities is a fundamental right for all university staff, particularly at the University of Birmingham. Working closely with our sister union, UCU, we aim to ensure the university meets its obligations towards disabled and neurodivergent staff.