Disclosing potential ASD diagnosis at work

very informative document; thank you

Thanks for this. 

It is the role that is redundant and there were three of us to choose from. Pay and notice have been sorted.

I think the problem here is I didn’t know there was anything ‘wrong’ with me in the first place.

I didn’t know about reasonable adjustments and thought I should just try harder. Also thought I was a bit of an idiot for not getting things like other people do naturally, or be able to chat in the same way. However I have good attention to detail which the others lack. 

I don’t know if mentioning my potential ASD during the appeal process would help or not but I will have a look at the link. 

The redundancy issues mentioned above have never been mentioned to me before now and perhaps they are comparing me to my ‘normal’ colleagues unfairly. But this just feeds into my overthinking and negativity anyway. 

You are only 'redundant' if your post is not being replaced.

If your post is being replaced by someone else, you have been dismissed.  And depending on how long you have been working for a firm you have rights.  I notice you have been working for seven years with the firm so therefore you have full rights against unfair dismissal.

Were you given 'redundancy pay'.  this would not amount to much, it only being one week's pay for every year eallmployme  And proper notice?  You should be given one weeks notice for every year you have worked, or pay in lieu up to a maximum of twelve weeks

It must be said that your failure to disclose a disabillity would go against you as your employer would not be obliged to give adjustments if they did not know of your disability.  This is why disclosure is essential.  Your employer had obviously noticed that you are having difficulties, but the last thing they want to admit is that these difficulties are caused by disability.  Proving disability retrospectively is very difficult (but not impossible) and would revolve round whether it was obvious at the time that your difficulties were caused by a disability. 

For example, if you had only one arm, it would be obvious that your disability was there even if you did not declare it.  Autism is a different kettle of fish as it is 'invisible' and what an employer sees is not disability but incapability.  And to get adjustments under the Equality Act you do not need a diagnosis of any condition at all, and even with a diagnosis you would still have to 'prove' your disability, in the same way as without a diagnosis, the advantage of a diagnosis is that your condition cannot realistically be disputed, although how it affects your everyday life might be.

However, you should be given the chance to appeal against redundancy, or dismissal. At the appeal you could bring up the fact you now know you are autistic and if reasonable adjustments are given you could perform your job.  You could state that you intend to get apply to Access to Work for support (google Access to Work).  And even at this late stage you could be successful in keeping your job.  State you believe you are covered by the Equality Act and that you hope an agreeable solution can be found to keeping you in work.  The chance of success may not be high but at this stage you have nothing to lose except that due to the stress you may not feel as if you are up to the process involved.

Read the following document for some idea of how to 'prove' your disability:

https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2018/10/Proving-Disability-and-Reasonable-Adjustments-Oct2018.pdf

Thanks. I’m in Bedfordshire. 

I know this will just sound negative and paranoid but I think they just wanted to get rid of me. 

Hi I have Asperger's and I do give time to my local NHS Health And Social Care Trust by sitting on Interview Panels when recruiting Admin workers or Consultants , I have sat on many panels since 2014 and have had some training for this too. So to be there working 7 years for the employer to suddenly let you go on them grounds seems odd to me , though I am not an expert.

It might be useful maybe if you could give the NAS Helpline a call and discuss all this with an a NAS adviser !  

Depending where you are in the Country they may know of some employment support agency who specifically help Autistic people get paid work and offer in work support too. 

Hi everyone. 

I just thought I would update this to say that I have now been made redundant. 

The reasons included not being ‘warm’ to customers on the phone (or in person to other staff members), not answering the phone enough, needing to work on my reactions to situations and not being proactive in a particular way. 

None of these issues had been brought up with me previously and my other two colleagues have been employed within the last two years or thereabouts. 

They are apparently much better at these things already.

Not sure what to do from here. 

I think my manager would be ok with it as he has been quite helpful when I have ‘lost it’ at work in the past. Sometimes I think he knows. Probably just got used to my quirks. 

Other managers would be more difficult to judge, plus the other members on my team facing redundancy seem to have better people skills and don’t mind making small talk on the phone. Something I really struggle with.

I think I have decided not to tell them for now. I don’t want to give them ammunition and from reading other stories here that’s what could happen. 

Well, like Eccentric1 said Equality Act 2010 states you do not need a diagnosis - so if you experience difficulties similar to ASD even though you don't have a diagnosis, they should try to make adjustments.

On the other hand, I also think NAS24411 has a point. It's quite contradictory how life is. Because many jobs do list "good people skills" as a requirement. It'll be hard to make adjustments when a company is seeking someone with that particular skills set.

Hi yes and like others have said I disclosed at work within weeks of my diagnosis, the one thing I did wrong was I did it verbally and did not have it in print.

The one thing I would say is get it in print either a paper copy or an email, I have found this out from bitter experience. I am currently and have been for the last year in a big black hole with my employer, I have been severely disciplined for something that should have been no more than a slap on the wrist, the outcome was I was moved from my area of work and put in a completely different role which was totally unsuitable for me, OH are involved and have been very supportive my managers have 3 reports all stating the area I have been placed is unsuitable for me in relation to my AS, when I tried to remind the managers that I had disclosed my AS 4 years previously they denied all knowledge. I am currently off sick and my life has been made absolute hell by management.

So what ever you decide to do make sure you have put it in print then at least if you need to refer to it at a later date you have evidence that they were made aware. Good luck in whatever you decide to do and welcome to the site...

Exactly like my place.  Just seen the counsellor for the latest session and my stress test level has more than doubled in the last month as well as my anxiety level has more than doubled in the same time period too (All work related).  The counsellor is going to mention that to OH now but HR/Damagement/TU still remain talking about things and not involving me (outside procedures).

The first visit was mental health awareness week and the counsellor realises that it is all talk.

I am dreading every day because I fear the worst case scenario but of course still d not have a full diagnosis.

What type of relationship do you have with those you would be disclosing to? I'm 30s female and undiagnosed. Had been iff 4 weeks with bad anxiety. Last week at a sickness support meeting I said to my mgr "I identify with many traits on the spectrum". She was fine and said it doesn't change what she thinks of me or my work. It depends what culture you have at work. I felt I needed to say something cos I feel possible AS has contributed to why I have been off. If you think it'll help even though you don't have a formal diagnosis yet and you know it'll be taken well then I would do it. The fact you are going through with a diagnosis, I think, means you are not typical.  Even if it comes back as non AS,  there must be something there for you to have been referred in the first place.

That is the problem, the management and HR like to bang on about inclusivity but it reality a lot of it is just flag waving so they can say we have done training and have a policy in place, but then actually ignore their policies and training 

They are 'supposed' to be very sympathetic to disabled employees and you should only be put on a list after every possible way has been tried to save you - but in reality, you jump to the top of the list.  I''ve seen it too many times now.

Yes - top management brag about inclusiveness and HR departments claim to follow policies - but in reality, anyone with ANY needs is a liability that needs to be excised.  They really only want robots that can be used and abused - anything else is too much hassle.

Personally, its not something I would do. Discrimination does happen despite disability laws. It's not worth risking it. Especially if your report says you have problems with empathy and communication. There is so much competition for work these days and it is not a good start if you say you don't have people skills. 

I will have a look. 

That’s correct. I don’t want to tell them in case it turns out to be negative. 

I wanted advice about disclosing before getting a diagnosis as the company is making some redundancies and if they look at how awkward I can be with other people, and the various staff members I have had problems with, it will make it more likely that it will be me leaving the team. 

I think I do have positives as well but I guess my thoughts are usually negative!

Hi faithfulfluff

I asked a question about disclosing at work about a month ago, and have received some helpful replies. There are a lot of stories that people have shared, and it may be helpful to you too to look at the different stories (disclosing or not disclosing and the different outcomes).

https://community.autism.org.uk/f/adults-on-the-autistic-spectrum/15386/question-about-disclosing-at-work

I suppose another question you are having is that you are still in the diagnosis process, and worry what will happen if the results don't turn out as expected?

Thanks JohnS,

Looking back, I think I had what would be called a meltdown a few times at work. My manager sent me home after one of them but I just thought I was being over-sensitive and struggling to get used to the job. 

Unfortunately I’m not in a union so it’s hard to know where to turn, though ACAS have been helpful. 

My Stage 1 was an interview where I could have taken someone with me who knew me as a child. I didn’t have anyone so went alone. They just asked questions and looked over the forms I had sent back in advance of the meeting. 

I have been told Stage 2 is more practical in nature. They don’t have to invite you back for this one if at the first one they didn’t think ASD was likely. 

I totally agree with you. Over the years I have learned to bite my lip. But in periods of stress I can easily lose it over something that I would ordinarily ignore. That said I've got to the point of not giving a stuff at work and would be quite glad to be made redundant. All the so called support our company offers is purely to tick boxes :(

stage 1 was telephone assessment, stage 2 was information gathering (several forms to fill in) and stage 3 full assessment appointment. 

These may differ in different areas.