Are you acting too late?
In recent weeks at Creased Puddle, we’ve seen a troubling increase in cancelled Workplace Needs Assessments. The reason? The individual has already been dismissed before the assessment could take place. This isn’t just disappointing, it’s completely avoidable.
For those unfamiliar, a Workplace Needs Assessment is a practical process designed to identify the challenges a neurodivergent employee may be facing at work and recommend reasonable adjustments that can help them thrive. At Creased Puddle, our tiered system ensures that more complex cases, those requiring detailed, individualised strategies, are given the time and expertise they need:
- Tier 1 – for new or existing neurodivergent employees to ascertain how to get the best out of them in the workplace.
- Tier 2 – for those neurodivergent employees having challenges in the workplace or experiencing difficulties with their work.
- Tier 3 – for neurodivergent staff who are being performance managed, absent from work or there is a suggestion of litigation.
Unfortunately, what we are observing are employers often requesting assessments of all levels (but more predominantly Tier 2 and 3) too late. By the time they reach out, the employee may already be under formal review or at risk of dismissal. In some cases, the dismissal occurs before the assessment can even be carried out.
This defeats the purpose of the assessment entirely.
Why early intervention matters
Research has consistently shown that early intervention is crucial in supporting neurodivergent people in the workplace. In 2023, the Great Big Workplace Adjustments Survey found that 1 in 8 disabled employees waited over a year to receive any adjustments. Furthermore, the National Autistic Society states that early, proactive support is more effective, and more cost-efficient, than reactive measures taken after issues have escalated. When support is delayed, the employee may face prolonged periods of stress, anxiety, and underperformance, not due to a lack of capability, but due to a lack of understanding and adjustment in their work environment.
The failure to act promptly could also contribute to the notable rise in Employment Tribunal awards in favour of neurodivergent employees, where employers have been found to have breached their duty to make reasonable adjustments, or acted in discriminatory ways towards their colleagues due to a lack of understanding or knowledge about neurodivergence.
This is where Workplace Needs Assessments become vital. When undertaken early, this allows for tailored, realistic recommendations, ranging from assistive technology and communication adjustments to sensory modifications and flexible work arrangements. These adjustments can dramatically improve performance and engagement when given time to bed in.
A cost to people and business
At Creased Puddle, we often advise our clients to pause or not start performance management processes until a Workplace Needs Assessment has been completed and recommendations trialled, typically over a period of around three months. Employers who dismiss staff before this process can take place not only risk legal consequences for failing to provide reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 but also lose valuable talent and waste organisational resources.
Clients are also charged the full price of the assessment if cancelled due to dismissal, within the process, adding to their financial burden. Every time a late-stage assessment is cancelled, a potentially transformative support opportunity is also lost.
The solution? Act sooner
If an employee discloses that they are or think they are neurodivergent or begins to struggle at work, don’t delay. Contact us as early as possible. Let us assess their needs and recommend adjustments before performance concerns escalate.
Alternatively, provide your own staff the opportunity to become a certified Neurodiversity Workplace Needs Assessor, the benefit of which is that your staff will know and understand your industry and can recommend bespoke adjustments. Then, ensure you allow time for those adjustments to take effect before reviewing performance again.
The earlier support is provided, the better the outcomes for the individual and the organisation alike.