I am looking to get some opinions/support. I have been working in customer service for a big baank for a few years now. I disclosed when I started my role that I have Aspergers (formally diagnosed), sleep apnoea. Connected to the Autism I have sensory issues and also am very prone to feeling stressed and anxious.
The job I do is one that I feel that I excel in all areas except pretty much one - Call handle time! I have 450 seconds to deal with affluent customers who call the bank with multiple queries. We are trgeted on this as well as 15 other targets, however if I was to hit every other target but not my AHT I get in trouble.
I struggle with my communication in the sense that it is not always efficient. I can go around the houses quite a lot which of cause is symptomatic of having autism for me. This is a constant cause for me to go over target. Some months if I am having a good month I can be closer to my target but I have only hit the target a few times ad that was because I was assigned an easier call queue.
The bank have put some adjustments in place for me - they have increased my target from 450 seconds to 500 seconds. I alo sit in a corner seat with nobody behind me because I struggle with hearing specific conversations. I believe that they have tried to be helpful
BUT
My manager says a lot of things that I think if they were said to somebody else with a different diability they could be done for discrimination.
I have had a difficult year, I have had my 3rd child, I have had bouts of work related stress because targets and expectations changed and was difficult for me to adjust. So much emphasis is put on delivering a 'satisfactory performance'.
So I am currently 300+ seconds over my call target but there are no other major faults with my work, I am never rude to customers - except one customer who apprantly I was wrong to tell her that the reason I couldnt deal with her enquiry quickly is because she kept interrupting me constantly - the quality of my work can not be faulted generally. But because my calls are longer its had side effects of me going to breaks/lunches late etc.
I am trying to do everything that I can to imprrove my performance but talk time is hard to bring down. I keep being told 'dont overexplain things, dont go around the houses, try not to be too analytical, do only what the customer is asking you to do, etc.
It really gets me angry because I listen to all the feedback and try to do whaat they ask but I end up slipping back to overexplainng etc I just cant keep it brief. I keep being told 'you need to find a way around it' etc. I havent had any coaching for ages until this week when they decide to ay Ive had calls which are too long and therefore not helpful to the customer.
Now Im in a situation where they are basically asking me not to have autism and do my job. By them telling me not to go around the houses among other things are they being discriminatve and inconsiderate to my condition? Ive said before that the adjustment they gave me isnt enough because it does not take into account that I can have days where my head is cloudy for no identifiable reason, and I will aturally be slower. They just epect me to be a robot but they are trying to insinuate that I m baically not capable of doing the job consisstently. How can they say that after 3.5 years in the job just now?
Do I have any grounds to say that they are discriminating against me?
Sorry this is so long but hard to think how to shorten it down.
Apologies,
Adel
