What’s the hardest thing about your work environment?

I’d love to have my own office! We do have quieter spaces where you can work for a bit if you need to, but it’s dependent on whether they are free or being used for meetings etc. I get that open offices can be more collaborative, but they also super distracting and it’s exhausting having to spend all day in there. I understand what you mean about it background noise in cafes etc, it’s much less intrusive.

Unpredictability is so hard to process, and it sounds like you were under a lot of pressure to complete your work in a tight time frame. Sorry it resulted in you having a nervous breakdown - it sounds like a terrible environment for an autistic person. 

I agree this is tough.

I find a lot of people in the office run late for meetings but don’t tell anyone, so I’m left in this limbo period where I think I’m supposed to be somewhere but the meeting isn’t happening and I don’t know when it will eventually happen, or if it’s just been cancelled. Really throws my day off course.

When I worked in the open plan office it was noise, smells and hot desking'. Now I mostly work from home it is sudden changes and new expectations.

I used to work in offices in my twenties and would dream of having my own office where I could shut the door on all the inane chatter and noise. Now I spend a lot of time alone in my job but I also go in to other people's offices so I am regularly reminded of what annoying places they can be, although luckily I am only in them for a short period of time and I don't generally have to interact with any of it. I was in a small office the other day where four people were on different zoom calls and it was unbearable - I couldn't imagine having to work in that environment - how could you possibly concentrate?!

I do a lot of my general admin laptop work in cafes because I find too many distractions at home and end up procrastinating. Cafes are ok if it's just general hubbub and nothing I can tune in to, but if someone is being annoyingly loud nearby, I can put my earphones in with brown noise or loud instrumental music.

*Previous job -2007-2019*

- Manager kept changing days and hours without warning

- Supposed to ask before adding extra hours, but didn’t

- Told there were "enough hours to complete delivery" when there weren’t

- Expected to do more than was realistically possible

- Had a nervous breakdown due to manager expecting one person to put stock away 

*Current social group - June 2022 to present:*

- Lively, friendly group for women in the area, continuing after WI branch closed 2021/2022

- Suggested membership because people only attend once or move away

- Ideas get ignored

- 6pm meeting time is awkward unless it’s BBQ or Xmas meal; 2pm works better

- Communication issues: not everyone uses social media

- Trying to attract younger members — I’m the youngest

- Feel like I’m repeating myself: "parroting" when explaining the group

- Some members work during the day so can’t attend

- Joined partly due to uncertainty with library volunteers

- Library has 2 volunteers who aren’t regular users — "drives me up the wall"

Unexpected change/things happening without warning.

Yes I have loops earplugs which I wear as required. I get it with you saying about being interrupted from an activity though. Different situation but I have that at my work too and hate it when im super focused on something. Im required to do an awful lots of small talk obviously too with staff and residents which is struggle with lots on some days more than others depending how exhausted I already am 

Ah, that must be difficult. Are you able to wear earplugs or anything to help? 

I work in a huge care home... so for sure the constant alarms going off