Employment (Buckland Review)

Tanya said:

Management and HR seem to always stick together to the point of gaslighting the vulnerable

You have understood it right. I worked for 2 decades in management and have plenty of experience of working with HR in staff disciplinary issues and while they want you to have the impression that they are your champion, they are in fact there to service the company and keep you in line.

i've witnessed some very unpleasant manipulation of people by management with HRs approval (and often guidance) as HRs job it to make sure the action of the staff and management does "the best thing" for the company - and if the consensus is that getting rid of someone is the best thing then they will work on finding a legal way to do it.

It sucks, but knowing it is there does give you the knowledge to work to avoid the worst of the possible outcomes.

Tanya said:

 I am relieved and saddened to hear so many autistic people being treated this way.

It isn't just autistic people - anyone who displeases management or isn't good enough at their job is at risk of this approach.

I think autists are good at creating a bad impression because of our social ineptitude, lack of flexibility and high sick leave levels (often from meltdowns or burnout) which gets us into trouble more than NTs.

Tanya said:

I've heard that less than 10% of autistic people are in work. 

I believe it is 30%

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment_of_autistic_people

Hello Iain,  Thank you for your message of support.  There was a high staff turnover in the department.  My predecessor only lasted 3mths while I lasted 5mths.  I had a friendly exchange with a female colleague.  I politely enquired whether she had any issues with my work and if she did to come up and tell me.  She replied that she had no issues with my work.  Next minute, I'm falsely accused of inappropriately prodding her in the back with my finger and making her cry.  I went off on the sick with work-related stress and refused to go back in the open planned office. 

I raised a grievance.  I've now found out that the HR investigator and the Key Witness, who said I behaved very aggressively, are in fact mother and daughter.   The daughter wasn't even at her desk.  I was redeployed to another department.  I had a cancer scare.  When I came back from my operation, they falsely accused me of making a female colleague cry by standing too close to her and looking over her shoulder at an email. She was training me.  I was shadowing her.  They also falsely accused me of making a joke about cancer.  I resigned.  It has affected me.  

I've now written to the Head of HR informing her of the above.  I'm awaiting a HR review.  She is aware that I've written to my local MP.  I do not want anyone else to go through what I went through.  I'm hoping to get some closure in the way of an apology, retraction, and recompense for the emotional suffering. 

I am sorry you have went through that. I have had similar experiences at work in similar veins to what you say. It seems NT's just can't cope with ND communication and look to report and complain. I went through a very traumatic investigation because I asked someone if they were late in to work.

Did you look into taking an employment tribunal on discrimination by harassment or are you time barred? 

Thanks for the advice.  I'll check that out. 

Thanks for the advice.  I'll check that out.