Autism and issues with employment

My assessment of the situation is that the issues with employment actually start before employment.

The definition of 'smart casual' for a job interview. It's so bafflingly vague it has always driven me nuts. At least when it was a case of always wear a suit, the rules were clear. 

Likewise, in application forms it's not always clear the purpose of the questions being asked. Everyone seems to want different things, and there's no consistency in the application process.

In interview there's the rise of 'curveball' questions and 'secret tests'. So much so, Randstad has a section on them: Interview curveball questions & how to answer them | randstad | Randstad UK for my money these questions are entirely irrelevant to the job application process. Recruiters tend to think they're being clever and unique. I can work very well with someone without liking or socialising with them. 'Fitting in' with a company seems like balancing the scales against those who are in anyway slightly different.

In employment, on reflection I think it's largely that most managers and employers seem to think its okay to just 'bend' the law or the rules. I once walked out of a job in a bar. The law is clear - it is illegal to knowingly serve anyone who is drunk. A staff member who serves such a person can legitimately be fined, and get a criminal record alongside the venue. In my case, this guy had been drinking double scotches for three straight hours. He was so far past drunk that I refused service and removed him from premisis. The assistant manager on duty tried to force me to admit I was wrong and to serve him a free drink. So I walked out. The pub license holder later had a conversation with me and tried to pull the whole 'we know it's the law, and you're right, but we need to look past it from time to time'. 

I now look back on this with the benefit of diagnosis and wonder if it is autistic literal thinking? Is it just me? 

In a less contentious issue - 'right' and 'wrong' ways of doing things. When working a stage door job I refused to make up a replacement access card for a staff member without their supervisor's authorisation. That was after all the rule. I got so much flack for refusing that it frustrated me and still bugs me. It felt like once again people were just trying to decide the rules on the fly. 

Honestly, the more I reflect, the more I realise that having been a freelancer most of my life might just have been my way of trying to avoid the craziness that is the traditional job market. I seriously struggle to work out how more companies aren't taken to task over what I think may well be good examples of discrimination.

martintheactor said:

I now look back on this with the benefit of diagnosis and wonder if it is autistic literal thinking? Is it just me? 

It does sound like you were applying the rules in a hard and fast way but in NT society the rules are often bent depending on the situation and most of us just don't get the subtleties involved in this decision making or are so inflexible that our steadfastness makes us a problem.

It is the nature of society - much more nuanced than we can handle.

martintheactor said:

When working a stage door job I refused to make up a replacement access card for a staff member without their supervisor's authorisation. That was after all the rule.

It would depend on the staff member I guess - the more important they are then the more the rules get bent for them. Other reasons to bend the rules would include if you liked / fancied them or if you knew delaying them would cause knock on problems for the production.

I've been lucky in that I have had an opportunity to study interactions and work out most of the unspoken rules over time, but even if I could write a book on the subject I don't think autists with this rigid mindset would risk bending the rules.

It does seem to be a contributing factor in why so many autists are not in full time emplyment (I think 32% of autistic young adults are employed compared to over 70% of NTs in the same age group)

I remember I observed them and couldn’t understand why they break rules. I only enjoyed working with one manager, who was an aspie (in McDonald’s) she chose me to help her with inventory, we both made it really quickly and only kept exchanging informations. 

I remember I observed them and couldn’t understand why they break rules. I only enjoyed working with one manager, who was an aspie (in McDonald’s) she chose me to help her with inventory, we both made it really quickly and only kept exchanging informations. 

May favourite type of co-worker. Someone who you can just get your head down with and get the job done without the small talk.