Where I work (cleaning and maintenance in a bus depot), I'd consider it very autism-friendly, although nobody there knows I have ASD. But I would recommend it to other autistics.
It's predictable - when you start your shift, you're very unlikely to have any surprises thrown at you that could trigger anxiety. You arrive knowing what you're doing. (At my old job, at a care home, there were certain things that made me stressed and you didn't always know what you were going to come in to each morning).
Being short-staffed isn't too stressful - being short-staffed is stressful for everyone but to an autistic person it could mean a change in task or more pressure, etc. But where I work, you can actually get the essential tasks done on your own for a day or two (obviously not every day, as other things need to get done too but it is easy to find cover for staff holidays).
Not many meetings, and if we do they are done quickly - I actually enjoy meetings but I know that a lot of autistics don't. But they don't make you speak up if you don't want to, all they care about is if you attend.
No forced overtime - some autistics find sudden flexibility stressful, and I'm no exception to this. If I have planned in advance to do overtime then I'm OK with it, but if it is put upon me on the same shift then I get stressed and feel like I just want to get home. I enjoy my current job so I don't feel like this so much, but they do respect that you have a life outside of work and usually things are done on time.
Not many people - there's only a small handful of cleaners and engineers so you know everybody's names and you get used to each other.
Same hours - all day the buses are in use so obviously there isn't any work for a cleaner to do, which is why the cleaners' shifts are evenings. So there's no chance that you'll be asked to do different hours.
However, there are a couple of downsides to where I work that don't bother me at all but might deter other autistics.
A lot of banter - you kind of have to keep up with the banter and mild teasing that goes on, and just laugh and take it all with a grain of salt, but some autistics may find this difficult. If you take things too seriously and get offended then you probably won't fit in, moreso if you're a guy.
Loud noises - some buses can emit loud noises. I'm OK with it, but there is one bus that expels air louder than any of the other buses, and sometimes it makes me anxious being near this particular bus because I start anticipating when the sudden burst of air is going to happen. But this doesn't affect me greatly.
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Female
15 Dec 2020, 5:10 am
