Bullying at Work and Employer breaking the Law

I'm not saying don't record incidents and dialogues, but it isn't that simple. And secretly recording conversations could be a disciplinary matter that achieves the same ends as the harrassments are trying to achieve.

Failure to allow breaks - depends what consitutes breaks in a given work situation. Are we talking about breaks all staff are allowed or breaks a disabled person seeks as requisite for their condition?  There may not be a proper understanding of a need for extra breaks. In the current economic climate many firms are expecting employees to take breaks while on the job, if that makes sense.

Going to the toilet - again will get debated. How often is reasonable? Someone with anxiety or depression may be going more often than considered reasonable or necessary.

The bit about having to clean the toilet - that sounds like reportable harrassment - but the trouble is normal recourse on harrassment is to report it to the police - it isn't that simple when it happens in the work place. And does the job description include clearing up after the boss?

A lot of people are being asked to work longer hours at present, often as an increased productivity deal towards recovery. You need to think about the context in which this is being asked.

The point I'm making is that currently this sort of harrassment can easily occur in workplaces, if the intention is constructive dismissal, because even for the disabled, the legislation doesn't cover it.

As I say, NAS needs to get real about the sorts of things happening to people on the spectrum in the workplace because they do not fit in - "their face doesn't fit" etc.

This really is a serious issue. It is under-researched, under-reported and NAS needs to take a lead on this.

The "Push for Action" Campaign doesn't address this. It is about adult services, and adults in work don't usually qualify for services. NAS appears blissfuly ignorant of the workplace crisis for many people on the spectrum, which is why so many of the Government's campaigns to improve work opportunities for the disabled don't mention autism. They need to be told about autism.

By organisations like NAS....

I fully understand Muckworm's situation. I suffered a great deal of this myself, and while I survived successive protracted attacks of this sort, it was grim and depressing.

But there aren't simple answers to this. We need to bring attention to the plight of many people on the spectrum in the workplace in order to address this kind of discrimination.

I'm not saying don't record incidents and dialogues, but it isn't that simple. And secretly recording conversations could be a disciplinary matter that achieves the same ends as the harrassments are trying to achieve.

Failure to allow breaks - depends what consitutes breaks in a given work situation. Are we talking about breaks all staff are allowed or breaks a disabled person seeks as requisite for their condition?  There may not be a proper understanding of a need for extra breaks. In the current economic climate many firms are expecting employees to take breaks while on the job, if that makes sense.

Going to the toilet - again will get debated. How often is reasonable? Someone with anxiety or depression may be going more often than considered reasonable or necessary.

The bit about having to clean the toilet - that sounds like reportable harrassment - but the trouble is normal recourse on harrassment is to report it to the police - it isn't that simple when it happens in the work place. And does the job description include clearing up after the boss?

A lot of people are being asked to work longer hours at present, often as an increased productivity deal towards recovery. You need to think about the context in which this is being asked.

The point I'm making is that currently this sort of harrassment can easily occur in workplaces, if the intention is constructive dismissal, because even for the disabled, the legislation doesn't cover it.

As I say, NAS needs to get real about the sorts of things happening to people on the spectrum in the workplace because they do not fit in - "their face doesn't fit" etc.

This really is a serious issue. It is under-researched, under-reported and NAS needs to take a lead on this.

The "Push for Action" Campaign doesn't address this. It is about adult services, and adults in work don't usually qualify for services. NAS appears blissfuly ignorant of the workplace crisis for many people on the spectrum, which is why so many of the Government's campaigns to improve work opportunities for the disabled don't mention autism. They need to be told about autism.

By organisations like NAS....

I fully understand Muckworm's situation. I suffered a great deal of this myself, and while I survived successive protracted attacks of this sort, it was grim and depressing.

But there aren't simple answers to this. We need to bring attention to the plight of many people on the spectrum in the workplace in order to address this kind of discrimination.