• Welcome to Autism Forums, a friendly forum to discuss Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, High Functioning Autism and related conditions.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Private Member only forums for more serious discussions that you may wish to not have guests or search engines access to.
    • Your very own blog. Write about anything you like on your own individual blog.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon! Please also check us out @ https://www.twitter.com/aspiescentral

Work Problems

A

Abe1

Well-Known Member
I have been in this job for a long time and manage to endure it, there are parts of the job I like and it pays the bills.

As per my previously moans, I work in an open plan office which is bad enough.

However, my company is restructuring the office, to bring people together which will mean that I am closer to many people and within earshot of a multitude of distractions.

They are also bringing some level of hot-desking, where some people will no longer have a specified desk.

They are also providing "quiet" areas in due course, but they would like me to be in the main part of the office (so I can support the rest of the team) at least to start.

What rights would I have under the (UK) Disabled Disability Act 2010 about reasonable adjustments, or should I just grin and bear it.
 
I feel you, I'm in a three person pod, in group of four such pods, and the noise and carrying on can be very annoying and distracting.

I use earbuds to play music or something else to mask it. My co-workers have learned to tap my arm or put their hand in my visual space to get my attention.

Have you talked to them about how you need to focus on things, and distractions interfere with that?
 
I would ask to speak to whoever is in charge and ask them to put you in a corner, facing away from the bulk of the office, and also wear earbuds or earplugs to cut out the noise. Explain that you find it hard to concentrate because of the noise and bustle, and that you feel that you can't perform your job so efficiently under these conditions, so please can you have these accommodations.
 
Given you have a disability you should have the right to have specific accomodations at your work. I'm sure if you mention this to them they'd understand.
 
tducey said:
Given you have a disability you should have the right to have specific accomodations at your work. I'm sure if you mention this to them they'd understand.
Click to expand...

In an ideal world. Some of us don't live there.

In my own case, I told my then-boss, but only because they are a longtime IT person and I was sure I was not "the first rodeo." He was sympathetic and supportive.

But as I moved on to other bosses in the same organization, I did not. This old boss is still part of the power structure, I still interact with him to get the job done, and if something comes up where I need a bit of backup, I can probably enlist him. Turns out, my body freaked out and began trying to express an auto-immune disorder, so I got a note from my doctor. Now my accommodations (work at home two days a week) have a physical illness excuse, and I can keep my neurodiversity on the mute setting.
 
Last edited:
Abe1 said:
I have been in this job for a long time and manage to endure it, there are parts of the job I like and it pays the bills.

As per my previously moans, I work in an open plan office which is bad enough.

However, my company is restructuring the office, to bring people together which will mean that I am closer to many people and within earshot of a multitude of distractions.

They are also bringing some level of hot-desking, where some people will no longer have a specified desk.

They are also providing "quiet" areas in due course, but they would like me to be in the main part of the office (so I can support the rest of the team) at least to start.

What rights would I have under the (UK) Disabled Disability Act 2010 about reasonable adjustments, or should I just grin and bear it.
Click to expand...

I found that unless you stated the disabled accommodations at the time of your hire, you might be out of luck with no legal recourse. This is what happened to me, and I did not have the “official” sensory processing disorder diagnosis. To be accommodated would have meant I could not have been hired for the particular job in the first place. I did try though, and they spent a week trying to figure it out before telling me “No” due to the nature of the position.

Also, IF you wind up getting your own office, be prepared for your co-workers to feel negatively about you...as you would be getting “special treatment,” and you might not want to explain your disability diagnosis or needs to them.
 
I have just applied for 2 jobs. Both I expressed no accommodations due to not having the diagnosis. So, I don’t know if I will be able to endure either job for long. One is outdoors in hot weather, super bright light and lifting heaving bags of gardening products. I have an extreme bad back in addition to sensory issues.
The other will be a rapidly changing schedule day to day with having to switch multiple tasks, environments, and endure noise, and lots of people. I will have to drive a 14 passenger van 2x weekly to far away museums and other chaotic outings. I will also have to share a tiny cramped office. This job pays well!

Either one, and I am already screaming NO!!!!! I need to pay my bills though.
 
Mary Anne said:
I will have to drive a 14 passenger van 2x weekly to far away museums and other chaotic outings.
Click to expand...

Can you look for work in the far away museums?

Abe1 said:
What rights would I have under the (UK) Disabled Disability Act 2010 about reasonable adjustments, or should I just grin and bear it.
Click to expand...

I haven't looked into this officially so will be interested to see the replies. However, after about 20 hellish years working in open plan offices I do know that employers unfortunately do the bare legal minimum and get as much benefit as possible. And open plans are awful now, especially in cities. They cram as many people as possible into small, dark spaces, I'm sure battery hens have more rights. So my tactic has always been to make a business case for working from home, I always sell it as saving money for the company (desks cost a lot of money), I try to "share" my desk to save money (saving myself in the process) and I justify that I save time that I would have spent travelling. At one point I was 3 days from home and 2 in the city which was easier to cope with.
 
Bella Pines said:
Can you look for work in the far away museums?



I haven't looked into this officially so will be interested to see the replies. However, after about 20 hellish years working in open plan offices I do know that employers unfortunately do the bare legal minimum and get as much benefit as possible. And open plans are awful now, especially in cities. They cram as many people as possible into small, dark spaces, I'm sure battery hens have more rights. So my tactic has always been to make a business case for working from home, I always sell it as saving money for the company (desks cost a lot of money), I try to "share" my desk to save money (saving myself in the process) and I justify that I save time that I would have spent travelling. At one point I was 3 days from home and 2 in the city which was easier to cope with.
Click to expand...

Lucky anyone who is able to work from home! I think it’s truly a miracle way to work. They don’t have to be told about sensory issues if they just let you do it. It does save the company money!
 
Thanks for the replies, so far it has worked decently, and I have been allowed to plug my earphones in from time to time.

The distractions though have been noticeable by everyone, and generally there is not that much support for the changes in working conditions.

There has also been some office redesign work going on at the same time and a lot of crashing and banging. So in this regard, I am in the same boat as everyone, with most others also feeling frustrated.
 
Work problems continue.

The office move is largely completed and I have a new set desk. It is still not ideal as it is rather noisy at times, but nothing terribly bad.

However there are a couple of linked issues

1. Beside me in the office there is a door which some people like open as it supplies some cooler air as the office can get a little stuffy. When the door is open I get a draught which makes me feel cold at times. In the past week other people have opened the door and I close it, not immediately and for effect but when I start feeling cold.

I now got into trouble for closing the door, even though other people with a downwind of the draught have asked me to close it on occasion, although sometimes I do it of my own accord.

Apparently I have shown a bad attitude by closing the door as other people want it open and have openly complained about it being too cold.

My manager says they have a responsibility to others so they do not feel faint due to them being too warm. They say that I can move to a different desk, as some of us including me have been issued with laptops, but others are stuck at the same desk and cannot move.

My annoyances are that others are shown favouritism as usual and that being called into an office and given a wrap around the knuckle is unfair in this situation.

I think there should be a compromise, with some give and take on both sides.

2. I think the main issue though is that comments I have made have been fed back to my manager by my colleague who is trying to get ahead. The meeting occurred after a made a comment this morning about it being cold.

It is true that I might have been surly to this person, but I don’t really don’t like or trust the person.

This person is a real stirrer and I really do think that they are bad mouthing me behind my back to our joint boss. He does it to other people and also has a very chummy relationship with our joint boss.

My boss knows about my Aspergers but does not seem to be making any adjustments for me at all. My colleague has no idea, as I do not trust the person and they might well try to use it against me.

My role in work is changing and I don’t really trust where it is going and I don’t feel I can speak openly. I do a good job, but am very bad at office politics.
 
Last edited:
Wear a sweater. Just keep one at your desk for when you feel cold. Don't badmouth your boss or co-workers. Employers take a dim view of such activities. Pretend you're a team player rather than a backstabber.
 
Mary Terry said:
Wear a sweater. Just keep one at your desk for when you feel cold. Don't badmouth your boss or co-workers. Employers take a dim view of such activities. Pretend you're a team player rather than a backstabber.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your comments and honesty which is something I need at times.

The thing is I really do help the team out a lot either if they ask me which they often do. If I find errors I tend to do them quietly behind the scenes, without getting anyone in trouble. One of my current roles is coaching others which although tricky due to the human interaction is something I am trying to get better at.

I don't bad mouth anyone to the boss, unfortunately from what I have heard others do not play by the same rules.

I just to go to work and do a good job (or at least the best I can), help others if needed and I don't want any of this aggro.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New Threads

Top Bottom