Published on 12, July, 2020
I was diagnosed 3 weeks ago with autism, something I wasn't surprised at and actually feel relieved at knowing.
I work in the civil service, always been office based, never worked from home but over the last few years I've been really struggling with the work and the environment I was in.
Currently on sick leave and spoken to manager about what I'd like going forward. I've said full time home working due to the issues I faced in the workplace (crowded, noisy, temperature too hot, no routine). I've been told that I'd have to put in a flexible working request first to leave the department then put in a reasonable adjustment request on my new team for home working.
I've explained my issue with this is if I get moved teams on the first request its to operations which is a big open plan floor with hundreds of people, I've sat there briefly last year and had to leave the building as it was too overwhelming (at this point not knowing I was autistic). If this was to happen and then my reasonable adjustment request for home working was rejected I'd be stuck in an environment far worse than the one I'm requesting to leave.
Does anyone have any pointers on what the best course of action is to request full time home working? I've read up on so many pages but again when I mention it to my manager I keep getting told 'the expectation is to be in the office 2-3 days a week as a minimum' which goes against the law which states each reasonable request should be treated on a case by case basis and not compared to other requests.
NAS92857 said:over the last few years I've been really struggling with the work and the environment I was in.
What has changed from the years before this? Understanding what the changes have been is a good way to work out specifically what you should target.
NAS92857 said:I've said full time home working due to the issues I faced in the workplace (crowded, noisy, temperature too hot, no routine).
I worked on a few Civil Service projects that involved moving a lot of departments to large, open plan and hot desk environments and recall so many complaints because people were quite territorial.
For management the choice was logical as it saved so much money, gave a level playing field for desks to ensure fairness and made staff much more visible and accessible.
You can't get away from the crowded office aspect as individual offices are no longer an option so home working is one way to deal with this. For the noise aspect you can get noise cancelling headphones - these are very effective.
For the temperature, it will help to be hydrated and wear layered clothing (cottons ideally) with possibly a USB fan to keep you cool.
NAS92857 said:I keep getting told 'the expectation is to be in the office 2-3 days a week as a minimum' which goes against the law which states each reasonable request should be treated on a case by case basis and not compared to other requests.
You were doing it before (in a slightly different office environment) so asking for a radical change because of the changed environment is unlikey to be accepted. Unless you can prove something has changed for you (if it has been the diagnosis then this is not a change, it is simply gaining knowledge) then they will turn it down.
With the law you quote, it id going to come down to the application of the term "reasonable" here. IF nothing has changed physically for you then they will say you are just being petulant about the new office environment and they have already offered 2-3 days to work from home - and this is likely to be accepted as being reasonable by any tribunal.
You may need to find ways to cope if you want to continue in the job as I know the civil service is less tolerant of these sorts of requests since it can open the floodgates to more people asking and they really don't trust staff to work from home (don't ask me how I know - I had to sign an NDA).
I hope some of the practical tips help and the blunt advice is useful, but I'm afraid it isn't really what you wanted to hear.
I appreciate the reply.
The office environment I"m in isn't new, it's something I've always struggled with over the last 8 years since we started in this office. I put it down to temperature all the time but now I have my assessment in detail it's much deeper than that.
Social interaction and communication were key points raised that I struggle with. Not sure how I can cope with this any longer in the working conditions I currently have. I just want to get my head down and do my work but during the office day its team meetings, huddles, 1-1's, cramped office space with 40 people interacting amongst other things.
My 1-1s over the last two years go into detail about my struggles in the workplace. Often thought to be the temperature I mentioned but also the workload we were dealing with at the time however my output was the top 3 on the department.
I've ended up using so much flexi and annual leave before my sickness that people were saying I was never there but in reality I'd go in early to build some flexi up as I knew I wouldn't last the day. I'd go before the end of my shift and try and calm down back home, doctors highlighting this to be autism burnout.
Have you started working with a therapist who specialises in autism to help you manage the issus that are causing you anxiety / burnout?
Therapists can offer a great range of ways to do this and you may even be able to get this as part of your working time as a medical appointment - I've approved this for my staff before.
From my experience of managing in the Civil Service they will allow you some flexibility but after it becomes a long running issue of lack of attendance or underperformance then they will find ways to encourage you to leave.
To avoid this I think the best approach is to show you are working on the issues and have made all reasonable efforts to find ways to make it bearable.
At the end of the day there is a chance for 100% WFH but this will be seen as the thin end of the wedge so is unlikely to be last. It isn't what they publicise but senior management will still see it as a risk of others saying "me too" and losing the control they have in the office environment.
If you really cannot adapt to work in the hybrid environment that they are offering then it would be better to try to find another role that does offer what you need.
You have options to take more control of the narrative here - good luck with them.