Return-to-Office Policies Are Impacting Neurodivergent Workers (msn.com)
- Reference: 0177074331
- News link: https://it.slashdot.org/story/25/04/21/0512241/return-to-office-policies-are-impacting-neurodivergent-workers
- Source link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/careers/remote-working/the-workers-who-feel-left-behind-by-return-to-office-policies/ar-AA1De3Xh
They raise the possibility that "strict office mandates have the potential to deter neurodivergent people who may approach problems differently," the article notes — affecting peoiple "whose brains function differently, such as with ADHD, autism or dyslexia."
> While many neurodivergent people excel in an office, others struggle with sensory issues, an inability to focus and exhaustion, workers say... About a fifth of U.S. adults self-identify as neurodivergent, with a majority saying they always or usually feel that their brain works differently, according to a recent survey by research and analytics firm YouGov. They cite issues such as starting tasks before finishing others, being overwhelmed by social situations and struggling to focus...
>
> Some neurodivergent workers discovered success working remotely during the pandemic and don't feel comfortable disclosing their diagnoses due to fear of and prior instances of discrimination. Sometimes being one of the few remote workers makes it easier to be forgotten.... Neurodivergent workers who spoke about their office struggles say even part-time remote work can be a game changer. They also wish leaders would seek input from them and trust them to get their work done.
[1] https://www.msn.com/en-us/careers/remote-working/the-workers-who-feel-left-behind-by-return-to-office-policies/ar-AA1De3Xh
Autistic here (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm an autistic adult who's done both the office thing and the wfh thing, and honestly, the best is WFH for a lot of reasons. First off, there's no stupid, pointless conversations that just serve to completely derail me. (I remember there was a secretary who would pop by my desk several times a day just to make chit chat, drove my insane as I'd be neck deep in complex work and it takes a long time for me to retrace my thoughts) While Zoom meetings can be exhausting, I'd take them any day over in person meetings where I feel there's this constant need to make eye contact and be 'normal' even as my skin feels like it's crawling. I have a lot more control over my sensory environment at home, so I can actually focus. I don't have to go play peacemaker between neurotypical employees who are playing BS politics, or deal with petty drama. Working from home, I go at my own pace, which usually looks like 2-3 hours of really concentrated, hyperfocused work, then a few hours of relaxing, then back to 2-3 hours of hyperfocus- often getting the same amount of work done that my non-autistic employees would do in the office (or hell, sometimes outpacing them and getting all my tasks done by Tuesday.) I think there's going to be a big push to show that autism is a deficit, and that autistic people fail in work, and removing the ability to WFH is a guaranteed way to show that's true. We can get the work done great, but working in the office drives us insane.
Re: (Score:2)
It is nothing personal. RTO was a response to people abusing WFH policies. I am sure people will abuse "neurodivergent" exception should it be implemented. Your best bet is to find a permanent remote job instead of hoping for exceptions.
Tired of winning (Score:2)
Aren't you tired of winning yet? Life is so much better now right?
Re: Fucking millennials (Score:2)
You say that like human evolution was all for people to work in offices.
Re:Fucking millennials (Score:4, Insightful)
I thought the point of civilization was to improve quality of life for the members of civilization, not to just do the same old thing over and over because that's how it's always been done. Why do you hate progress?
Well you see... (Score:2)
The company is paying for this prime real estate in Cambridge or in Seattle or in wherever, and if you aren't in the office, then our investment is for naught.
Re: then drop identifying (Score:2)
This.
There is no advantage for the employees. The Internet never forgets and eventually the safe space where ND people talk about health matters can be taken away or weaponised.
Re: (Score:2)
Ok, I'll just stop saying that I have ADHD and all my problems will just go away. Didn't realize it was so simple. Thanks!
Re: then drop identifying (Score:2)
They want problems to go away FOR THEM. They don't care about you at all.
I need both (Score:4, Interesting)
I am a diagnosed autist (and I mean diagnosed a few years ago, as an adult) and I learned during covid that I need the office environment.
Not every day, of course but once or twice a week I do, otherwise I completely lose the relationship to my company and quite frankly, I haven't seen a company yet that has communication worked out.
computer based communication is motivation-driven, meaning you need to want to communicate something, formulate it and put it in the right channel.
The involuntary conversation that is so annoying to neuro-divergent people is important, though.It's a regular occurrence that I overhear a morsel of info I can provide a solution to or solves or at least advances my own issues towards a solution.
During covid, at times I didn't feel like I was even still part of the company. It was not a good time.
Re: I need both (Score:3)
Same here - diagnosed autistic last year. I also feel like I need office time- sure I get much less work done, but its actually important to build networks, hang out with someone new for lunch and develop your allies, or people who can confirm to others you're a 'good guy' and not just a silent face hovering on a zoom call who also happens to be extremely productive. Its all totally exhausting but it is important.
what I've learnt is that neurotypicals value whether they like you way higher than anything to
Re: I need both (Score:2)
But do you have ADHD or are you just on the autistic spectrum? Not all autism is a problem with context switching, which is the type of person that will have the most trouble in an office.
Re: (Score:2)
The involuntary conversation that is so annoying to neuro-divergent people is important, though.It's a regular occurrence that I overhear a morsel of info I can provide a solution to or solves or at least advances my own issues towards a solution.
Ineed. Quiet focus time is important to solve a difficult problem. Interactions with other people are important to make sure you're solving the right problems.
Nobody said life would be easy (Score:1)
Suck it up or get another job. Jobs mean working with people.
Re: (Score:2)
> Suck it up or get another job. Jobs mean working with people.
That is nonsense. There are quite a few jobs where working with people is not needed and not beneficial except in special circumstances or as a small part of the work. There are people that cannot perform on their own though and these freeriders are deathly afraid of being found out.
offices today suck (Score:3)
Let me tell you, children, of the days of yore.
From the 1950s (or before) up until the 1990s.
Professionals of all kinds who worked in offices
were all given private offices. You controlled your
own workspace, and you closed your door.
You could meet with other people either in your
office, or their office, or a dedicated meeting room.
If you were low on the totem pole, you got a tiny
office. Or maybe had to share with another person.
If you were higher up, you got an office with a window
so you could look outside. The ultimate was to get a
corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows.
You were never distracted with noise.
The distractions would be your boss coming to
randomly talk to you. The quality of your boss was
how well they understood not to interrupt you,
because they knew you were trying to think.
Parking could be an issue, as always.
In a downtown city location it could be a bitch.
I first saw cubes starting in the late 80s.
Those are jobs you decline.
Back in the good old days, the only people without
an office was the typing pool. Secretaries might or
might not have an office, depending on various factors.
I can't imagine working in today's "offices".
You would never get a fucking thing done,
and it would drive you insane.
I spent decades working partly or entirely from
my dedicated home office, being a regular
employee or self-employed consultant.
I started using the Internet (ARPANET) around 1977.
Offices (Score:2)
Just in the last five years, even working from home has gotten far more difficult.
For example, even in Windows 10 I don't remember there being links to news articles everywhere, but now a quarter of my WORKstation is trying to get me to read articles. I don't even see how companies can seriously complain about worker distraction while they continue to use an OS that is literally trying to distract you.
I used to get logged into everything I needed in the morning so I could switch from thing to thing as
They Wonder (Score:4, Interesting)
They Wonder why I have headphones on all day? The constant chatter. Phones ringing. People coughing. People hacking up phlegm (every 5 minutes!!!) Sounds of slurping and eating and utensils against ceramic. All. Fucking. Day.
The only time I get any peace to focus is when everyone is gone. Which is equivalent to working from home anyway.
I do not work in a busy office either. But coming home? I'm exhausted from... Something? Low quality air? Sensory overload? Who knows. leave me at home and let me get stuff done.
Re: (Score:2)
You do not need to be neurodivergent to have your performance and stress levels negatively impacted by that bullshit. It just hits you even harder if you are.
Re: (Score:2)
Sounds like you work in an open plan office.
I was working in a 2-3 man office (where one was hardly ever there) and then the company moved to a new location - empty desk, open plan with no fixed seating.
I left.
The 2-3 man office had been annoying enough, the one who was always there is a diabetic and he had reminders for various "must do, now" events set up to make various noises at fixed times of the day. He retired eventually.
Re: (Score:2)
Low air quality is a big problem in offices. Back before I was WFH I used to have the window open all year round, after checking CO2 levels and finding them to be rather low.