• Replies 7 replies
  • Subscribers 80 subscribers
  • Views 13284 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Employment law protection for those with Aspergers?

DeckardB26354

Hi there,

I was diagnosed with Aspergers a couple of months back - which certainly explained a lot to me & came as a relief too. 

I have always had difficulty with working & never been in each job I've had for more than a year. 

My trouble with work has always been getting on with other employees, or in the case of when I was self employed, clients!

This has mostly been other people upsetting me, to the point I have a bit of a melt down & leave. It's also less frequently been my direct behaviour - an example being me going into a colleague's drawer to use their hand sanitiser & not realising that broke social etiquette and was upsetting to her, getting reprimanded by the boss & feeling ostracised   

I want to go back to work - and need the income of an average UK salary, but I'm very fearful of doing anything but low paid, simple jobs, like working in a cinema (I'm a big film fan :) )

My actual field of work for which I'm qualified is financial services, doing research & planning for financial advisers. Although I haven't worked at all now for 2 years after a huge melt down in my last job, which turned my life upside down.  

I therefore wondered what protection there was in employment law for those of us with Aspergers, what it provides & how to disclose having Aspergers to an employer & how that's gone for you guys. 

I feel now my social awkwardness can be explained, if I have legal protection from unfair treatment, I'd go back to a demanding job  

Thanks a lot :)

Parents

  • I think that we are slow to learn social ettiquette, but get there eventually, by trial and error.

    The key in my view, is to learn to appologise. If you say to someone that you are sorry that you have offended them, and will not repeat what you did, I believe it should help.

    I also sometimes tell people that I am prone to saying the wrong thing and/or will not be offended if thay ask me politely not to do something. You could just explain to them about Aspergers and ask for their support in learning to get along with them.

    Bullying and ostracising should not happen, but the levels of ignorance about asd are huge and it seems to be down to us to educate those around us, sadly.

    I would suggest working in a small group and keep your distance, until you learn more about the individuals around you. They may find you unfriendly, but we don't have to be chummy with those we work with. The aim should be to earn your keep, not necessarily make friends.

Reply

  • I think that we are slow to learn social ettiquette, but get there eventually, by trial and error.

    The key in my view, is to learn to appologise. If you say to someone that you are sorry that you have offended them, and will not repeat what you did, I believe it should help.

    I also sometimes tell people that I am prone to saying the wrong thing and/or will not be offended if thay ask me politely not to do something. You could just explain to them about Aspergers and ask for their support in learning to get along with them.

    Bullying and ostracising should not happen, but the levels of ignorance about asd are huge and it seems to be down to us to educate those around us, sadly.

    I would suggest working in a small group and keep your distance, until you learn more about the individuals around you. They may find you unfriendly, but we don't have to be chummy with those we work with. The aim should be to earn your keep, not necessarily make friends.

Children
No Data