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Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits

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Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits

#11

Post by theguppydream »

collyw wrote: post #9
petercooper wrote: post #2

It was disheartening to be outwardly liked and praised but to never receive a real promotion. I've noticed this as a common unfortunate side effect of disclosing anything that has a stigma attached and explains why the upper echelons of most pursuits (politics, business, sport) still tend to be quite homogenous. While a small but ever increasing spotlight is being shone on issues faced by various minorities in the wo…

>minorities in the workplace (particularly by race and gender) We have a minority gender? (Or is that a can of worms I shoudln't have opened?)

In the higher positions, yes.

Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits

#12

Post by alehul »

collyw wrote: post #9
petercooper wrote: post #2

It was disheartening to be outwardly liked and praised but to never receive a real promotion. I've noticed this as a common unfortunate side effect of disclosing anything that has a stigma attached and explains why the upper echelons of most pursuits (politics, business, sport) still tend to be quite homogenous. While a small but ever increasing spotlight is being shone on issues faced by various minorities in the wo…

>minorities in the workplace (particularly by race and gender) We have a minority gender? (Or is that a can of worms I shoudln't have opened?)

Throughout tech, women are a minority in the workplace, even if not a minority in the overall population, which is one potential meaning of "minorities in the workplace." At least that's what I gathered.

Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits

#13

Post by organsnyder »

collyw wrote: post #9
petercooper wrote: post #2

It was disheartening to be outwardly liked and praised but to never receive a real promotion. I've noticed this as a common unfortunate side effect of disclosing anything that has a stigma attached and explains why the upper echelons of most pursuits (politics, business, sport) still tend to be quite homogenous. While a small but ever increasing spotlight is being shone on issues faced by various minorities in the wo…

>minorities in the workplace (particularly by race and gender) We have a minority gender? (Or is that a can of worms I shoudln't have opened?)

In most workplaces, yes. For many fields (IT, executive-level, politics...), women are in the minority. For others (teaching, nursing...), men are in the minority.

One big disparity is that most of the female-dominated fields tend to be lower-paying.

Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits

#14

Post by RankingMember »

duggan wrote: post #5
matkinz wrote: post #3

Disclosing a mental illness at work sounds like the worst idea you could ever have. I think it's better not to say anything and, if you wrong someone because of your illness, maybe tell that person in private and apologise. Unfortunately doing that makes it sound like an excuse. I'm not saying I have a better solution. Some people simply aren't apt for the real world. That's sad but it's the truth.

> Some people simply aren't apt for the real world. That's sad but it's the truth. The same argument might have been made before women's suffrage, civil rights, laws around accessibility, etc. Beyond physical laws, "the real world" is what we make it.

Bingo. The "real world" isn't some static thing set upon us; we shape it both actively (e.g. fighting for suffrage) and passively (sitting around being sad for ourselves).

Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits

#15

Post by dmm »

collyw wrote: post #9
petercooper wrote: post #2

It was disheartening to be outwardly liked and praised but to never receive a real promotion. I've noticed this as a common unfortunate side effect of disclosing anything that has a stigma attached and explains why the upper echelons of most pursuits (politics, business, sport) still tend to be quite homogenous. While a small but ever increasing spotlight is being shone on issues faced by various minorities in the wo…

>minorities in the workplace (particularly by race and gender) We have a minority gender? (Or is that a can of worms I shoudln't have opened?)

Women make up 51% of the US population so clearly men are a minority. Ha!

But really they probably mean a minority in a specific career or environment. For example, ~6% of truck drivers are female but only ~18% of primary and secondary teachers are male.

Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits

#16

Post by pavel_lishin »

collyw wrote: post #9
petercooper wrote: post #2

It was disheartening to be outwardly liked and praised but to never receive a real promotion. I've noticed this as a common unfortunate side effect of disclosing anything that has a stigma attached and explains why the upper echelons of most pursuits (politics, business, sport) still tend to be quite homogenous. While a small but ever increasing spotlight is being shone on issues faced by various minorities in the wo…

>minorities in the workplace (particularly by race and gender) We have a minority gender? (Or is that a can of worms I shoudln't have opened?)

Don't forget people who don't easily conform to the binary gender breakdown, or people who may be in the middle of a transition.

Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits

#17

Post by matkinz »

RankingMember wrote: post #10
matkinz wrote: post #3

Disclosing a mental illness at work sounds like the worst idea you could ever have. I think it's better not to say anything and, if you wrong someone because of your illness, maybe tell that person in private and apologise. Unfortunately doing that makes it sound like an excuse. I'm not saying I have a better solution. Some people simply aren't apt for the real world. That's sad but it's the truth.

> Some people simply aren't apt for the real world I'm confused by the juxtaposition of this statement and your preceding thoughts- it seems like quite a jump to say what seems to boil down to "Existing with mental illness at work and feeling like you have to hide it sucks" and then expand that to "People with mental illness aren't fit for the real world". Who decides who gets to be classified as "apt for the real wo…

I didn't say "people with mental illness aren't fit for the real world", but "some people with mental illness aren't fit for the real world".

In this case, regarding autism, it's called "spectrum" for a reason

Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits

#18

Post by scardine »

matkinz wrote: post #3

Disclosing a mental illness at work sounds like the worst idea you could ever have. I think it's better not to say anything and, if you wrong someone because of your illness, maybe tell that person in private and apologise. Unfortunately doing that makes it sound like an excuse. I'm not saying I have a better solution. Some people simply aren't apt for the real world. That's sad but it's the truth.

Many things classified today as autism spectrum disorders are hardly incapacitating so I would not call it a mental illness.

Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits

#19

Post by callesgg »

I have found it best to not talk about any psychological pathology with anyone that does not understand it(no one really understands but some people understand that they don't understand). You can mention the symptoms, but don't label it, as soon as you insert the word autism, schizophrenia, depression people will apply their own preconceived deeply flawed interpretations of the problem.

Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits

#20

Post by draw_down »

collyw wrote: post #9
petercooper wrote: post #2

It was disheartening to be outwardly liked and praised but to never receive a real promotion. I've noticed this as a common unfortunate side effect of disclosing anything that has a stigma attached and explains why the upper echelons of most pursuits (politics, business, sport) still tend to be quite homogenous. While a small but ever increasing spotlight is being shone on issues faced by various minorities in the wo…

>minorities in the workplace (particularly by race and gender) We have a minority gender? (Or is that a can of worms I shoudln't have opened?)

Come on
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