TY - JOUR
T1 - Autistic adults' views and experiences of requesting and receiving workplace adjustments in the UK
AU - Davies, Jade
AU - Heasman, Brett
AU - Livesey, Adam
AU - Walker, Amy
AU - Pellicano, Elizabeth
AU - Remington, Anna
N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2022. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.
PY - 2022/8/5
Y1 - 2022/8/5
N2 - This article examines 181 autistic adults' views toward, and experiences of, requesting and receiving workplace adjustments in the UK. Using an online survey, we collected both qualitative and quantitative data relating to individuals' experiences. While the majority of participants perceived workplace adjustments to be important, many were not receiving them. Analysis of open-ended text responses highlighted specific challenges that autistic people face in requesting and receiving adjustments. Specifically, participants felt the onus fell on them to (1) identify their need for adjustments; (2) establish the specific adjustments that would be beneficial and (3) request adjustments from their employer. Yet, they reported struggling with this process. Participants also highlighted a range of social and organisational barriers to the successful implementation of workplace adjustments. Unsurprisingly, the lack of successfully implemented adjustments had far-reaching impacts on participants' wellbeing as well as the choices they made about their future employment. These findings highlight the need for employers to take a more active role in the identification and implementation of workplace adjustments, as well as a need for more understanding and inclusive working environments that truly allow autistic employees to thrive in the workplace.
AB - This article examines 181 autistic adults' views toward, and experiences of, requesting and receiving workplace adjustments in the UK. Using an online survey, we collected both qualitative and quantitative data relating to individuals' experiences. While the majority of participants perceived workplace adjustments to be important, many were not receiving them. Analysis of open-ended text responses highlighted specific challenges that autistic people face in requesting and receiving adjustments. Specifically, participants felt the onus fell on them to (1) identify their need for adjustments; (2) establish the specific adjustments that would be beneficial and (3) request adjustments from their employer. Yet, they reported struggling with this process. Participants also highlighted a range of social and organisational barriers to the successful implementation of workplace adjustments. Unsurprisingly, the lack of successfully implemented adjustments had far-reaching impacts on participants' wellbeing as well as the choices they made about their future employment. These findings highlight the need for employers to take a more active role in the identification and implementation of workplace adjustments, as well as a need for more understanding and inclusive working environments that truly allow autistic employees to thrive in the workplace.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85135598960&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0272420
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0272420
M3 - Article
C2 - 35930548
AN - SCOPUS:85135598960
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 17
SP - 1
EP - 17
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 8
M1 - e0272420
ER -