LUKAS HAS RETURNED
Hi everyone!
I know it's been a ridiculously LONG time since my last post, but working full-time and balancing other work and life-related activities has made my life pretty hectic 😅
Last time I wrote about my experience in going through interviews for job hunting. Now that I've been at the office for a few months now, I figured that it's time for an update.
It is a sort of stereotype to imagine autistic people working in tech, but do I feel like tech is actually a good place to work for autistic people in real life?
Note: These are my own experiences and opinions, and not a full featured research study. If you have any experiences of your own that you'd like to share, comment below!
The Good
Flexible working environment
Clothes, working hours, days off... Tech can be really flexible which is important for autistic people that have diverse needs. I could wear anything from a suit to a hoodie at work, although it seems like I can't wear jeans to work for being "too casual." I knew someone that wore sunglasses at work because of sensory sensitivity issues, and while some may have found it odd, this person seemed happy since they could continue doing so. When it comes to working hours, while there are core hours I have to adhere to, beyond that I can clock in and clock out whenever I want as long as I attend mandatory meetings. If there's any sort of technology I want or need to use, I can ask someone from the company for permission and it's usually possible.
Diverse personalities and interests
My workplace seems to take great pride in welcoming many types of people. While I do think that in part, this can be some kind of corporate rhetoric to "encourage diversity," at the very least I feel like there's little urgency for conformity when it comes to how I think or what I like. Everyone has their own interests and contribute some thought during discussions. Hanging out with other colleagues (e.g. drinking parties) isn't mandatory unless on special occassions but you can go out if you want to.
Office and Remote working
Somewhat related to the flexible working environment, due to the pandemic, there's a more prevalent infrastructure for remote working. Tech-related tasks can usually be done at both the office and at home. It's possible to go to the office everyday, and it's also possible to work from home most of the time. It really depends on the individual's circumstances.
Investment in physical and mental health
Tech jobs practically force employees to sit in front of a computer screen for hours and hours. This makes the person more susceptible to poor posture, less exercise, and poor sleep. Perhaps this is the reason why my company takes great measures to give employees a chance to maintain their health by hiring HR staff that specializes in mental health in the workplace and having healthcare plans specifically catered toward the IT industry. I find that this is beneficial for everyone, but since autistic people are said to have a higher tendency to have health issues compared to other populations, this can be especially important to consider.
Good salary
Jobs in tech companies tend to offer fairly decent to great salaries. I don't personally recommend finding your dream job with the money alone, but it is something to consider.
The Ugly
Long screen time
It really is part of the job description. You sit in front of a computer and work on finding solutions through coding, preparing presentations, and attending meetings. At the company where I work, almost everything I do involves the computer. It becomes difficult to make sure to take care of your eyes and make sure to take regular breaks to avoid health issues in the future.
Male-dominated field
Maybe in certain parts of tech, there are more women who are actively involved in tech positions. While there are some women who have held successful careers, I've noticed an overall lack of female tech workers in my company with less than 10% of tech positions in my company held by women! I do believe that my company tries to be female-friendly as best as they can, and the gender ratio doesn't really affect my day-to-day life. However, there have been instances where I the women in my company have to do certain types of jobs more than our male counterparts. It's most noticeable when the company attempts to recruit new workers, and especially if at least one of the recruits is female, and the HR department prefers having a female tech employee to emphasize how female-friendly the company is. Although at least in my experience, the women where I work at are fairly close.
Social interactions continue to be tricky
Apparently there's a stereotype that there's a lot of autistic people in tech. While certain autistic traits are more-or-less acceptable in the tech space, there are many employees with varying backgrounds. With different backgrounds comes different opinions and ideologies and sometimes these can clash. Unfortunately, "reading the room" and following social norms continues to be a requirement for maintaining a peaceful work environment.
The Ableism
Disability shouldn't be a "dirty word,"... but it is (?)
It's interesting to me that certain autistic traits are accepted, especially the ability to have a sharp focus and deep interest in the topic, but disability conversations are not as commonplace as what I've been used to in university where we had a disability student society as well as a disability support centre. Sometimes I wish we could have more meaningful conversations about health and accessibility since I've felt health and safety meetings are treated as a chore.
What counts as "reasonable" accommodations?
When I was in university, there was a disability support centre where they had a website with a list of disabilities and some example accommodations. Each student was also assigned a tutor to help navigate reasonable accommodations. In the workplace though, it's HR that investigates anything to do with employee welfare. The company also doesn't have an open policy about disability besides revealing that there is an insurance plan in case someone becomes disabled due to the job. Thankfully my workplace is fairly flexible in terms of working hours and I can request adding extra functions to my office computer, but I still believe that information about disability support can be made more widely available for the public eye.
The lack of disability-related education in some people can be... astounding...
Once, there was someone that gave a talk saying that "a disabled person won't be able to do the job." Needless to say I was dumbfounded when I heard this but it also enlightened me that some people have never thought about disability and disabled people's potential in the workplace.
Thanks for reading!!!
This post has taken me wayyyyyyy to long to write!!! Thanks for reading until the end. I hope you enjoyed it, and please feel free to leave any comments about the topic. How do you feel about being autistic in tech? Do you have different experiences and opinions?
I honestly have no idea when I'll be writing next but till next time! Have a great life!
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