Getting a Job

Isnt it really unfair that employers turn people away because they have HFA or Asperger syndrome?? 

I believe there isnt a lot of support from the UK government when it comes to tackling job employment for the disabled. Would i be right in saying that??

Who on here actually has a part-time or full-time job?

Parents
  • Is there collated evidence that people with HFA or Asperger Syndrome have been rejected by employers on those grounds?

    I'm not ignoring the sorts of discrimination I've witnessed, but IN THEORY there should not be such outright prejudice and it is supposedly challengeable in law?

    Unfortunately a lot of pre-conceived notions and clinical literature that mainly concerns people needing psychiatric help has led to stereotypes that might be in peole's minds if they prevent people on the spectrum getting jobs. But that again is challengeable if evidence is collated.

    However we need to distinguish any explicit exclusion from perceived exclusion. If you apply for a job there may be an equalities form which asks you about any disabilities, but that is not supposed to be shown to the people selecting candidates from applications. If that is happening with regard to autism spectrum candidates that is a serious matter (hard to address but in theory wrong).

    You might chose to disclose your disability on the application form, and that might preclude you from getting a job, but employers must not discriminate and there are tight legal controls. In practice though it is not proving easy.

    However application forms and curriculum vitae can reveal information that might prevent you getting a job: frequent job changes, long gaps, lack of team work evidence (competitive and team sports involvement). They will make decisions to which people on the spectrum are vulnerable.

    If you go to an interview however, that's when things do go wrong. The interview looks at social interchange, ability to work in a team, ability to work on your own direction, ability to deputise or manage others. The questions are designed to bring out these capabilities. You can explain your disability in advance and you can ask to see the questions in advance and you can aask to have someone with you as an advocate. In practice a lot of these safeguards are overlooked or broken.

    As I've suggested, the situation is complex. Could someone clarify what is meant by the assertion people on the spectrum are being turned away by employers and then we can look at this in more detail.

Reply
  • Is there collated evidence that people with HFA or Asperger Syndrome have been rejected by employers on those grounds?

    I'm not ignoring the sorts of discrimination I've witnessed, but IN THEORY there should not be such outright prejudice and it is supposedly challengeable in law?

    Unfortunately a lot of pre-conceived notions and clinical literature that mainly concerns people needing psychiatric help has led to stereotypes that might be in peole's minds if they prevent people on the spectrum getting jobs. But that again is challengeable if evidence is collated.

    However we need to distinguish any explicit exclusion from perceived exclusion. If you apply for a job there may be an equalities form which asks you about any disabilities, but that is not supposed to be shown to the people selecting candidates from applications. If that is happening with regard to autism spectrum candidates that is a serious matter (hard to address but in theory wrong).

    You might chose to disclose your disability on the application form, and that might preclude you from getting a job, but employers must not discriminate and there are tight legal controls. In practice though it is not proving easy.

    However application forms and curriculum vitae can reveal information that might prevent you getting a job: frequent job changes, long gaps, lack of team work evidence (competitive and team sports involvement). They will make decisions to which people on the spectrum are vulnerable.

    If you go to an interview however, that's when things do go wrong. The interview looks at social interchange, ability to work in a team, ability to work on your own direction, ability to deputise or manage others. The questions are designed to bring out these capabilities. You can explain your disability in advance and you can ask to see the questions in advance and you can aask to have someone with you as an advocate. In practice a lot of these safeguards are overlooked or broken.

    As I've suggested, the situation is complex. Could someone clarify what is meant by the assertion people on the spectrum are being turned away by employers and then we can look at this in more detail.

Children
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