The second edition of the annual Neurodiversity Index, published by City & Guilds Foundation in partnership with Do-IT solutions, has found 36 per cent of neurodivergent employees do not receive any guidance or support in their workplace setting, while 20 per cent are still waiting for adjustments to be put in place. The survey of over 600 individuals and organisations underscores the real-terms impact on productivity caused by a lack of workplace support. Survey respondents report regular cycles of burnout, as well as out of hours work to make up for time spent managing their conditions during the day.
Despite this, of those surveyed, under half (49 per cent) state that disability and inclusion policies are important to them, down from 53 per cent last year.
However, the report also shows gradual year-on-year progress in certain key areas:
– 40 per cent of organisations surveyed have alternative application processes in place, up from 35 per cent last year.
– 44 per cent of organisations have neuro-inclusive strategies in place, compared to 34 per cent last year.
– There is a 7 per cent increase in the number of organisations with a neuro-inclusive commitment in place. However, 1 in 3 workplaces surveyed, lack a central commitment.
A new section in the 2024 Index investigates the impact of work on parents’ ability to provide adequate care for their neurodiverse children. While 28 per cent of organisations report not having made any accommodations for the parents of neurodiverse children, 33 per cent say they have plans to introduce these in the future.
Kirstie Donnelly MBE, CEO of City & Guilds, says: “The findings in this year’s Neurodiversity Index reinforce the message that many employers could go much further in taking neurodiversity seriously and providing adequate workplace support for those who need it.
“As an organisation committed to skills development, we really want to see employers look at these findings and do more to support their neurodiverse employees,” she says. “By incorporating more training, staff can become better educated and use those learnings to listen to neurodiverse employees and make reasonable workplace adjustments.”
Amanda Kirby, CEO, Do-IT Solutions says: “Building on what we learned last year, it’s great to see that some things have improved but it’s clear that the challenge remains for many neurodiverse people in the workplace. I’m also pleased to see the Index has highlighting the negative impact that the end of home working is having on parents of neuro-diverse children, who need more flexibility.”
