Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
IT

Return-to-Office Policies Are Impacting Neurodivergent Workers (msn.com) 88

Posted by EditorDavid from the not-like-us dept.
With more companies requiring workers to return to an office five days a week, "Anxiety is rising for some of the millions of people who identify as neurodivergent," writes the Washington Post.

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.

Return-to-Office Policies Are Impacting Neurodivergent Workers More | Reply

Return-to-Office Policies Are Impacting Neurodivergent Workers

Comments Filter:

  • They Wonder (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Dripdry ( 1062282 ) on Monday April 21, 2025 @01:36AM (#65319881) Journal

    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)

      by gweihir ( 88907 )

      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.

    • 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)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      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.

      • 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.

        How can that be with all the man made climate change and global warming?! /s

    • Are you sure you aren't the subject?

    • I once had a boss that didn't allow me to wear headphones. Her opinion was that it sends the "wrong signal" that one doesn't want to be, or should not be, disturbed by others. Kind of an anti-teamwork message.

      It was a real "what the fuck" moment for me.

      It's worth pointing out that a lot of people didn't like that person, whether she was their supervisor or not.

  • Autistic here (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Peterus7 ( 607982 ) on Monday April 21, 2025 @01:41AM (#65319887) Homepage Journal
    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.
    • 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.
      • Yeah I think this is it also. In general I prefer office work, but I like the option of working from home in case of some kind of emergency, but where I work they this year classified my job as not WFH eligible, even though 95% of my work during the week is over SSH, or working in Office 365.

      • 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.

        Exactly. It is easier to abuse WFH than going into an office to work. And people can abuse working in an office as well.

        And yes - finding work that is only WFH and won't change is the best bet for people who simply cannot abide being around other humans.

        However, there is one issue. The mental image of the "neurodivergent" that so many people is not quite accurate. We had a student doing an internship with us who was pretty severe ADHD. His thought process was way different as well. No doubt he'd be la

        • Finally, neurodivergent is one of those terms that get misused, like autistic. Introversion is not neurodivergent, and I think that is what a lot of the Slashdot crowd is - highly introverted

          I would encourage everyone on Slashdot to go take this test [embrace-autism.com]. Especially if you're over 40 or female or a minority, because you would have been missed as a child.

          • Finally, neurodivergent is one of those terms that get misused, like autistic. Introversion is not neurodivergent, and I think that is what a lot of the Slashdot crowd is - highly introverted

            I would encourage everyone on Slashdot to go take this test [embrace-autism.com]. Especially if you're over 40 or female or a minority, because you would have been missed as a child.

            Thanks for the link - I got a 20 on the assessment. Apparently I'm not very autistic.

            As far as I can tell, my only divergent from whatever we are calling normal is that I simply cannot sit still. I fidget, I tap, I work problems in my head while interacting with others - even dream solutions - I like to get away at least once a week to mentally work problems because I keep getting interrupted. And I get bored really quickly.

            I generally do like the so-called high functioning autistic people - I've worke

          • I would encourage everyone on Slashdot to go take this test.

            I scored 32, which is a significant score. It makes sense, given how much I've always hated socialization.

            • Next step, go search YouTube for "signs of adult Autism" and watch a couple videos. Maybe you're just introverted, or maybe it'll be like, "Oh my god how did I not know this?!".

      • It's a response to the value of rich people's commercial property portfolios declining.

      • RTO was a response to beancounters paying for the overhead of having an office space.

        ftfy.

      • I mean at the end of the day, 'nothing personal' still feels bloody personal when it's a fundamentally exclusionary practice, and in alignment with this administration's massively anti-autism bent. When RFK goes out and says that autistic people will never have jobs, it emboldens businesses to stop accommodating autistic employees' needs. IT is one of the few lucrative careers neurodivergent people actually tend to do really well at, and blocking them out of it is just a step in the wrong direction. When I

      • It is nothing personal. RTO was a response to people abusing WFH policies.

        I don't think the evidence supports that claim. Most of it seems to be due to two factors. 1) Insecure managers who don't trust people to do work if the manager can't see them doing it. 2) Stealth layoffs, so companies can reduce headcount without having to report they're having layoffs (looks bad) or pay severance.

        I'm sure there were people who abused WFH, but there are ways to deal with that. Judge people based on how much work they get done, not how many hours they spend in the office. And it really

      • RTO was a response to people abusing WFH policies.

        If true... basically, employers and managers being either incompetent, or just stupid? Not really a mark against WFH if employers see who is abusing WFH, doesn't fire them (or discipline them at the least), and tries to wreck WFH. If anything, anyone with a functioning brain can see the fault on employers and/or managers if that is their response rather than just dealing with the problem employees.

  • 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.

  • I need both (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Kokuyo ( 549451 ) on Monday April 21, 2025 @02:39AM (#65319953) Journal

    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.

    • 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

    • 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)

        by Kokuyo ( 549451 )

        I was diagnosed with ADHD as a teenager but I didn't react well to Ritalin and didn't pursue it. When decades later the autism diagnosis came, I expected the ADHD had been misdiagnosed.

        I have become unsure lately. I do much better jumping from project to project, whereas I hate being yanked out of a thought process. Not so much by a colleague wanting to chat. That I kinda like to do from time to time. And if it's a bad moment, I just say that I'll get back to them.

        But the ever growing administrative side...

        • There is a cousin of ADHD that has been known about since the 60's but no one talks about it. It has the same symptoms but does not respond to stimulants. Google on "Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS):"

    • Re:I need both (Score:5, Insightful)

      by serviscope_minor ( 664417 ) on Monday April 21, 2025 @04:52AM (#65320067) Journal

      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.

    • I am not on the spectrum, but have a few other mental health issues. During covid, I found that I lost all will to work while alone at home. RTO never happened for me as my job just didn't last after 2020. I tried a hybrid job in 2023, but still couldn't handle responsibilities the 3 days home alone. Communication really broke down. I found that I really needed a few hours of daily face time to function. Now, vision problems also interfere with my ability to drive and commute. It's too many hurdles, and I

      • When I worked in an office, most of my time was spent trying to figure out how to avoid doing any work. It was easy to do too. People like to socialize.

        Since working from home, that problem has gone away and my productivity went through the roof.

  • offices today suck (Score:5, Interesting)

    by cstacy ( 534252 ) on Monday April 21, 2025 @03:47AM (#65319997)

    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.

    • I admit, I never thought I would wish I had a workspace as luxurious as a cubicle. These days I get a small part of a table.
    • > I started using the Internet (ARPANET) around 1977.

      Define "using" for me in that context. Not saying you were not part of the few places back then, just realize that most people don't understand how limited it was back then. I mean, it's possible you had a slow modem and terminal from home that connected you to "something" on ARPANET.... but, unusual. You're not the only person that dates back to "days of yore".

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by cstacy ( 534252 )

        > I started using the Internet (ARPANET) around 1977.

        Define "using" for me in that context. Not saying you were not part of the few places back then, just realize that most people don't understand how limited it was back then. I mean, it's possible you had a slow modem and terminal from home that connected you to "something" on ARPANET.... but, unusual..

        The way you used computers in those days was either
        through "batch processing" or "interactive computing".

        In batch, you had to visit your institution's computer
        facility where you punched cards, handed them to
        an "Operator", who eventually ran them, and handed
        you back your output (printout). This would take hours
        or days. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to do that.

        Interactive computing is where you are "on-line".
        If you had a mini-computer (about 50,000$2025)
        you would sit at it, operating it through a "termina

  • Offices (Score:4, Interesting)

    by fluffernutter ( 1411889 ) on Monday April 21, 2025 @05:33AM (#65320103)
    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 I did my work, but now everything times out and you can't do that. To make matters worse, now there is 2FA on everything so not only are you switching between working and logging in, but you are switching between devices to log in. So even logging into things has become a huge ordeal, especially if you are a person who is trying to avoid their phone.

    As companies try to do more with fewer people it also gets harder to set aside chunks of the day to do actual work. You can try to block off times to do work in your calendar, but double booking has become common out of desperation because no one has spare time in their calendars any more.

    This is just the actual work itself. Now add in people talking endlessly about stupid things. People who think taking loudly about their many accomplishments so the whole office can hear is the way to get ahead. Worrying about looking appropriate, being appropriate. Now people are able to physically intrude on you while you are working. i think if a person likes to work in an office, they are probably part of the problem. Or at the very least they don't realize how much stress it puts on them.

    • I used to get logged into everything I needed in the morning so I could switch from thing to thing as I did my work, but now everything times out and you can't do that. To make matters worse, now there is 2FA on everything

      Ugh yes. I need to be in four systems with differing recurrence and period in order to do my job, two of them share SSO but it is unreliable so one of them sometimes times out when it is supposed to and sometimes not for hours, and all of them have fifteen minute activity timeouts. Only one of them doesn't have 2FA; it does have other access limits. I log into two to three of them when I get in. I wind up logging in to one of them around a dozen goddamn times a day, another a half dozen... Oh yeah, and then

  • If I am an employer who employs people in a job based on digging coal, I believe I am allowed not to have to employ people with one arm, because they will obviously be less productive, let alone have to pay for changes to the working environment for them, so that they can work atall ?

    If I am an employer who employs people in a job based on interacting with colleagues, am I allowed not to have to employ people with mental problems, because they will obviously be less productive, and to not pay for changes to

  • The key problem (Score:4, Insightful)

    by RUs1729 ( 10049396 ) on Monday April 21, 2025 @09:03AM (#65320321)
    The office is conceived by extroverts on the assumption that everybody is an extrovert.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

      The modern office was conceived by an architect on a budget based on the reality that walls are expensive. The rest is stuff people read off the little card in the art museum.

  • Everything that I work with, all of it, it's all web based. If I want to send a message to the person on the other side of the wall from me, I use the internet to do so. Everything that I do for clients in all web based as well. When the people that work in my office have meetings, we all sit at our desks, and meet online thru MS Team. Yet the possibility of me working from home is out, because they say that they need me in the office.

  • Self-Identify - PO (Score:3, Interesting)

    by BloomFilter ( 1295691 ) on Monday April 21, 2025 @10:08AM (#65320475)
    I say this as someone likely on the spectrum but undiagnosed ... piss off with the self-identification garbage. This isn't your sexual preference on a Tuesday after a few drinks. It is neurological function and cognitive abilities and should be determined by an expert. What next, percentage of people self-identifying as geniuses.

  • I'm mildly autistic, with an official diagnosis. This is considered a disability under the ADA, and thus employers must provide reasonable accommodation.

    My employer recently started requiring everyone within 50 miles of an office to come in 2x/week, but the offices are all high-density shared workspaces - a nightmare for anyone on the spectrum. I talked to my manager, he talked to HR, and surprise, surprise, the most logical accommodation was to continue to work from home full time.

    If there's one thing HR i

Slashdot Top Deals

We all like praise, but a hike in our pay is the best kind of ways.

Close