Published on 12, July, 2020
Recently diagnosed and first time posting! Hello!
I am having difficulty at work in so many ways and desperately want to keep working. One is the main things I really am struggling with at the moment being able to use a headset for meetings and things over teams as I get so distracted by background noise around me, get really overwhelmed and then cannot focus or concentrate, so I loose my ability to engage in a conversation which is obviously really affecting me. I spoke to IT department today about getting a noise cancelling headset but been told anything like that has to go through HR as a reasonable adjustment and would have to provide medical evidence etc I don’t know how I feel about being open about my diagnosis at work and how it affects me. Any experience with this? Positive or negative? anyone tried a noise cancelling headset? Did it help? Any other suggestions to try? thanks!
I think you have 3 choices here:
1 - ask you manager if you can have the headphones on expenses as you have problems as described. No need to disclose the autism. No need to go through IT.
2 - tell HR and request them as a reasonable adjustment
3 - buy them yourself.
I did some research and when you look make sure it specifies the headphones are noise cancelling - most just have microphone noise cancelling.
Logitech have some promising models but prices are around £100.
If you can afford it then option 3 is the logical choice.
Can you buy your own headset? Does it have to go through anyone?
I haven't disclosed that I'm autistic at work yet, but I have been through this process for physical health conditions and how well it works is very dependent on the workplace, especially your immediate supervisor and your HR department. Using a noise cancelling headset is something that a lot of neurotypical people might also prefer or benefit from, so I would say that it definitely comes under 'reasonable adjustments'.
When it comes to disclosure and asking for adjustments, remember that you don't have to tell anybody else you work with apart from those who absolutely have to know in order for you to get what you need. You can choose whether to share your diagnosis and how much information you share about it, and it's not appropriate for HR and/or your manager to tell anyone else about it without your consent. You might also be able to limit what you say to the people who DO need to know- it may be possible to just say that you have some sensory issues and would benefit from the headset, if you're not ready to tell them you're autistic.
Hello,
oh god that’s awful that asking for reasonable adjustments triggered such a bad experience. It’s shocking that things like that still happen. This is what really worries me. Thanks for the advice. If you don’t mind sharing what happened when you did disclose it? Feel free to not answer, don’t want to rehash it all as it sounds like a horrendous time for you, if you don’t feel comfortable doing so.
Thankyou for replying. I don’t know if I disclose it to HR that would then spiral into other people knowing like my manager? I have worked there for five years now, so I would hope that it would be a positive experience letting them know my diagnosis, but it really worries me too. i think I’m going to have to do something as it’s interfering with me being able to work. It wasn’t an issue the last few years but now more and more people are back in the office it’s so much noisier and busier.
thanks!
I dont want to put you off cos my experiences are only my own and different from other peoples but I am just coming out of a situation where I disclosed my autism at work and asked for reasonable adjustments for the first time ever and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. I was discriminated against really badly.
Like I said tho, not everywhere is the same and it might be different for you. Just go into it with your eyes open and guard yourself
Unfortunately, i don't have any experience myself, but i think they're right and that it would need to be put through as reasonable adjustments. I wonder if you would be able to talk to the reasonable adjustments people yourself and explain that you aren't ready to disclose your condition but would like to be able to acquire the headphones via reasonable work adjustments??
i don't know too much about this so im sorry if that wasn't helpful