This blog about autism and the workplace will be one of several about work.  Individuals on the spectrum are woefully underemployed. From what I have seen and have experienced personally, the best accommodation for people on the spectrum is for them to learn and use effective social and professional skills.

This topic reminds me of a teammate from my high school soccer team.  He was a year younger than me. He was a skilled player. He was strong and tough, and he did not shy away from anyone.  He gave every practice his all. If I remember correctly, he was also a cross country runner. So, keeping up with the laps we did at the beginning of practice was not an issue for him.  He had good hustle.

He had good stamina, but he was not very fast.  He was strong, but he was not the most coordinated guy on the team.  He had to put in extra effort to pass the ball accurately, but he could do it.  When he had the ball, though, he could not control it very well, and often lost it as soon as he gained control of it.

Despite this, he had an excellent attitude.  He accepted criticism very readily from our very sour and cantankerous coach.  In fact, he would ask the coach at the end of each practice, “What can I do to be a more effective player, coach?  How can I earn some playing time?” He had no sense of entitlement. He was very humble. I think the coach allowed him some minutes in some non-consequential games, but he earned every second of that time.

I’ve thought about that teammate quite a bit since then.  The key take away was how could any coach or supervisor reject that kind of attitude?  Let me share two things employers have the right to do, why I think they did them to me, and what I have found that works.

Thing One:  Employers can deny you hours.

If your employer does not like you personally, my experience has been that they can keep you employed, but they are not legally obligated to give you the hours you need.  Some of them may be doing this so you will quit the job. It often works.

It doesn’t matter if your hours are far less than any other employees.  Bosses can deny you hours. It doesn’t matter if you are the most productive employee on staff.  The boss can still short you hours.

Thing Two:  Employers can schedule you when they know you cannot work.

Unless you have proof that you participate in prayer in a religion at the same time the boss schedules you, you must show up for your assigned shift at 3:00 a.m.  Bosses can

do that.  It doesn’t matter if you requested time off for heart surgery one year prior.  Bosses can schedule you anyway. They can let other employees off and keep you on a short leash.  That is just the way it is.

Now, employers are loathe to test this privilege.  Threatening your job over life-saving surgery isn’t likely to happen.  But if you are difficult to accommodate, they are likely to try less and less to conform to your schedule.  Generally speaking, if I cannot get time off to attend a social event, I show up for my scheduled shift. But if I am scheduled during a shift at another job that is outside my availability, I might say something like “I value all my employment, and I wouldn’t ask my other employer to schedule me when I am needed here.  I know you will work things out for me so I can have this time off.” Then, I offer to work during a time I am not scheduled.

Why Employers Might Do These Things:

If an employee is high maintenance, cannot get along with other coworkers, is difficult to schedule, or cannot perform the job, the employer is likely to let you go.  They will accommodate you within reason. Asking for instructions to be repeated, asking for time to process directives before responding to them, or asking to use a volume phone have generally been regarded as reasonable requests on my part.  Making frequent requests for time off, asking for forgiveness for repeated rude behavior, or failing to do the essential task of the job causes undue hardship and are not likely to be accommodated.

It did not go very well for me at all when I became litigious.  Mentioning the word lawyer is a quick way to lose trust. Employees have very few rights anyway.

What Works

Recall my teammate’s question, “What can I do, coach?”  

Here are similar questions I have asked that have worked:

• “Will you please let me know if I have offended any of my co-workers?  It is not deliberate, and I would like to make amends if I can.”

• “Is there a shift you need covered?  I am glad to help.”

• “May I come in early and practice making pizzas during the slow part of the shift?  I would like to sharpen up my skills.”

• “I know there is no opening right now.  Could I volunteer a few hours to get some experience?  Do you know a manager who might need me?”

• “I am happy to come in and do the tasks you really need done.  When could I come in?”

I cannot imagine too many employers who would respond negatively to this kind of approach.  When I have behaved this way at work, I earn much grace. Even with my 

autism, I have found my employers to be very forgiving when I make social errors.  Most see my good intentions. When I give my employers an opportunity to see my good qualities despite my autism, things generally go well for me.

Just like it did for my teammate.  He won “The Coach’s Award” for good attitude at the sports banquet that Spring.  I think he earned a letter the following year.

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