Good morning!
Earlier this year, I published an article exploring the unique workplace experiences, advantages, and barriers neurodivergent women—with neurological conditions like autism, ADHD, or dyslexia—face when trying to attain leadership roles. One frustration I had while reporting the story was the limited data on neurodivergent individuals’ experiences in the workforce.
Now, a new study shared exclusively with Fortune from Hopper Health, a virtual primary care practice for neurodivergent people, sheds light on that matter. The findings are somewhat disheartening, but they substantiate the accounts of neurodivergent women who spoke with me and offer guidance on how HR practitioners can better support this demographic.
Per the survey, just 41% of the 1,100 neurodivergent adults polled say they receive any workplace accommodations. Another 6.5% say they were denied accommodations after requesting them.
Neurodivergent women, in particular, are less likely to receive workplace support. While 25.7% of openly neurodivergent men say they received accommodations without asking (and another 30% received accommodations after requesting them), only 6.41% of women received accommodations without asking (23.36% received them after asking). Women were also more likely to be denied accommodations when requested than men (7.02% compared to 5.82%, respectively).
“This, unfortunately, tracks with the experiences of myself and other neurodivergent women. People are sort of mystified and don’t really know how to respond [when women disclose],” says Katya Siddall-Cipolla, cofounder and CEO of Hopper Health. Yet men in her professional circles experience fewer barriers to receiving workplace support. “I have autistic male friends, and their experiences disclosing to their employer and going through the accommodation process is completely different because there’s no underlying tone of doubt.”
The lack of support negatively affects how neurodivergent women view their work and employers. Surveyed women were far less likely to express satisfaction with their work. Just 20.71% of women said they were very satisfied with their work, while 43.46% of neurodivergent men said the same.
Luckily for employers, the accommodations that neurodivergent employees want are generally simple and affordable. The most common accommodations they request are:
1. Flexible schedules
2. Clear and concise instructions and training
3. Comfortable or quiet workspaces (or noise-canceling headphones)
4. Support from HR practitioners trained to help neurodivergent workers.
“A lot of what neurodivergent people need are really just productivity basics,” Siddall-Cipolla says. For example, a neurodivergent employee may ask to move their workstation to a quieter part of the office, where they can better concentrate. “All of that stuff is easy. HR practitioners need to feel empowered to do it.”
Another key is training managers to accommodate and assist these workers. Employees may be fearful that if they disclose their neurodivergence, they could face retaliation or mistreatment from their manager.
“HR leaders say to me, ‘I want to support this population, but I don’t think I know who all of those people are, and I don’t know how to engage with them because it’s such a sensitive topic.’ And my response is, ‘Well, you need to educate your managers,’” says Siddall-Cipolla. “That’s where the problem is.”
Paige McGlauflin
paige.mcglauflin@fortune.com
@paidion
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