Neurodiversity

While government departments and other employers may have consistent workplace polices on disabled workers’ rights, this is not the case with autistic and neurodivergent employees, says the PCS civil service union.

Writing on the PCS website recently, Austin Harney, a member of the union’s disabled members’ forum, notes that “policies vary and in some cases are non-existent”. Harney points out that a mere “16% of autistic people in the UK are in full-time work with a further 9% in part-time employment”.

And, he says, union reps face difficulties persuading managements to implement reasonable adjustments for disabled people — particularly neurodivergent members — thanks to legislative inconsistencies across the UK and the Irish Republic.

Harney says that neurodiversity issues should be taken forward by both the all-Ireland ICTU trade union confederation and the TUC.

https://www.pcs.org.uk/campaigning-for-consistent-policy-on-neurodiversity