Discover effective approaches to requesting and implementing workplace accommodations, inspired by the experiences of neurodiverse accountancy professionals.

The American autistic professor Dr Stephen Shore famously said: “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.”

Yet his words are often forgotten or disregarded. Many organisations and well-meaning individuals make unhelpful assumptions based on limited experience. The autistic spectrum is as diverse as it is complex and a lack of understanding can lead to barriers and stumbling blocks for neurodiverse individuals, particularly when it comes to employment.

Accountancy can be a great career for some neurodiverse individuals due to required skillsets around problem-solving, attention to detail, memory retention and the focus on processes and systems. But employers may need to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to harness their capabilities.

We spoke to three individuals in accountancy who are on the autistic spectrum about how their colleagues and companies have helped them to thrive.

“Accountancy allows me to embrace my need for efficiency”

Rosie Weldon, Zodeq

A diagnosis of any sort is often perceived negatively, but not for Rosie Weldon, senior financial analyst at Zodeq. For Rosie, life changed from being an uphill struggle to suddenly making sense.

“I’d struggled for years and just didn’t know why,” she explains. “The actual catalyst was when I had a work placement during my second year of university – I just couldn’t do it. There was no way I could walk into the building.”

It was during subsequent discussions with her academic tutor, who noticed Rosie couldn’t make eye contact and who reflected on Rosie’s other difficulties, that autism was first suggested. Rosie was officially diagnosed shortly afterwards. “It just made complete sense,” she says.

Rosie’s neurodiversity affects her personal life “a million times more” than it does professionally. Eating, sleeping, getting dressed, leaving the house: daily chores and choices cause a lot of anxiety and stress. This is not the case professionally: Zodeq identified Rosie’s unique skillsets from the first interview and designed the job around her to play to Rosie’s strengths.

“Zodeq know not to put me on the phone to talk to clients for example, and they allow me to work from home in my own environment because I find change difficult.”

Flexibility works both ways: Rosie often works late into the evenings if she’s “hyper-focused”.

“I like things to be right. I have a very black-and-white mind. My mindset is on finding the most efficient way of doing things. I’m handed a process, and I just have to find a better way of doing it. I’ve reduced processes that ordinarily take days or even weeks to complete to one morning a week. If there is a way to make something work better, I’ll find it.”

She has been lucky in finding a company that values her skills and diversity of thought while making reasonable adjustments to allow her to thrive.

“The one thing employers can do to make things easier for people who are neurodiverse is just to listen,” she says. “It’s not complicated. You don’t have to spend money on reasonable adjustments, just find out what that individual needs.”

Rosie’s key points:

• Identify the strengths in your neurodiverse colleagues and make adjustments to help encourage good performance
• Flexibility helps encourage autistic team members feel comfortable
• Listen to your neurodiverse colleagues

“Accountancy showed me I’m not broken – I just think differently”

Gavin Simpson, Travis Perkins

Gavin Simpson was only diagnosed with autism this year, but had spent most of his life feeling different. A former truck driver turned finance data analyst and management accountant at Travis Perkins, he knows how a lack of understanding of neurodiversity can hold someone back.

“I struggle with some social situations and I’m really fussy with stuff – our knives and forks in our drawer at home have to match. I also have loads of thoughts going round my head at once and I can lose my chain of thought,” Gavin explains.

Gavin found school hard and he struggled to make friends. It wasn’t until one of Gavin’s employers gave him the opportunity to work as a traffic dispatcher that everything changed for the better.

“I needed to use Excel for the role but I didn’t have a clue initially,” he admits. “I read a book about it on Eurostar on the way to Disneyland with my kids. Within weeks, I was building complex databases and automating processes. My manager said, ‘How do you do that!?’ I ended up training him! It just felt natural. I suddenly discovered these skills I never knew I had.”

That was the turning point: Gavin was put on a management development programme and discovered a passion for management accounting, and everything fell into place. Ten years on, Gavin is a part-qualified management accountant CIMA professional in a role he loves and he’s learning to use his neurodiverse skills to his advantage.

“I can think in 3D,” he explains. “I recently built a two-storey playhouse for the kids. The plans were all in my head. I could visualise it, spin it around like a 3D object and see how it would fit together. It’s the same in my finance role. I can easily visualise the workings of month-end processes and complex systems and create them from scratch.”

Recently, Gavin created a bespoke supply chain return process for Travis Perkins’ 600 branches. He looked at existing databases and built an automated system in a month that sped up stock redistribution, saving the company thousands.

There have been challenges. Gavin finds it hard to ‘read a room’ and he finds small talk difficult.

But with a set agenda or process, Gavin is in his element. “I can concentrate deeply on something for hours. I can also spot patterns and errors really easily when others can’t.”

Understanding and awareness from line managers is essential for people like Gavin. “When managers have micromanaged me in the past, it becomes sensory overload and I just can’t function,” he explains.

It’s taken him years, but Gavin has a much better understanding of his neurodiversity and the environment he needs. “I’m not broken, I’m just different,” he says. “How many people are doing menial jobs without realising their full potential because of their neurodiversity?”

Gavin’s key points:

• Process and/or a set agenda can be important to some autistic staff members
• Some autistic team members may be able to spot efficiencies and improve processes rapidly
• Be sensitive to autistic team members’ needs, as micromanagement can be distressing

“Accountancy allows me to explore my interests”

Harry Smith, Azets

Harry Smith became something of a local celebrity recently when he landed his first permanent role at Azets as an accounts assistant after successfully completing an internship at the firm.

Harry, who was first diagnosed with autism at eight years old and also has ADHD and dyspraxia, has always had a passion for numbers and technology. It’s no surprise, then, that working with Azets and immersing himself in technology and accountancy appeals to his preferred way of working. “I love how methodical the profession is,” he explains.

There are aspects that Harry struggles with – particularly social elements. “If I’m talking to someone in person, I look at their mouth to see when they’ve finished talking.”

So what can employers and colleagues to do help? Harry appreciated, for example, the opportunity to deliver a speech about autism when he first started at Azets. It gave colleagues the opportunity to learn more about autism.

Harry’s key points:

• Openness is crucial to understanding the nature of your colleagues’ neurodiversity
• Awareness among colleagues of the nature of autism can help autistic staff members navigate the social elements of their jobs

How to make adjustments

Neurodiverse colleagues are entitled to reasonable adjustments at work. If you’re unsure what that might mean in practice, here are some examples:

• Noise-cancelling headphones help to block out background noise in a busy office or warehouse
• A screen filter for a laptop or desktop PC monitor, which can minimise the risk of sensory overload
• Use of a quiet part of the workplace, which can avoid noise and movement that can trigger sensory overload
• Time management and project management apps can help with scheduling tasks
• Instant messaging and text-to-speech apps for those who are non-verbal or are not confident in using the phone or face-to-face conversation 
• Flexible hours, ie, a working pattern to suit the needs and body clock of an autistic employee
• Exemption from team meetings and social gatherings, such as permission to miss team-building exercises, meetings and team nights out
• Exemption from meeting clients where the employee struggles with communication issues
• Line managers should think about how they communicate with neurodiverse employees. The National Autistic Society recommends:
  • Write down instructions and tasks
  • Give short, clear instructions
  • Break down larger tasks into smaller components
  • Create a regular timetable of tasks to add structure to the work day

How to ask for reasonable adjustments

You can request reasonable adjustments be made for your work if you think you need them.

• Ask your employer for a meeting to request reasonable adjustments. Before your meeting, think about the following points:
  • What reasonable adjustments do you need?
  • What sensory issues do you experience?
  • Is there any equipment available that helps?
  • How much does it cost?

• When you hold the meeting, explain what adjustments you need to do your job and relate them to autism, if possible

Find a helpful and caring mentor

A mentor or coach can help untangle issues such as unwritten office rules and confusing instructions.

Useful resources

• Apply for Access to Work funding
  • You can apply for the Access to Work funding if you have got an interview coming up, you have just started a job, you are self-employed or are in a job already.
  • Access to Work can pay for travel, equipment and awareness training for your workplace.
• Specialist recruiters such as Enna help recruit diverse staff
• Charities and organisations such as the National Autistic Society provide advice for employers, and run training courses.

The self-employed will be hit particularly hard when fixed-rate mortgages rise or they need to arrange new funding.

On 22 June, the Bank of England raised the base rate to a 15-year high of 5% in an attempt to curb inflation. Analysis by Octane Capital revealed that, as a result, those looking to remortgage could pay an additional £20,000 just in interest over the next five years.

And analysis by the Labour Party warned that even before the latest hike, mortgages were on average £2,000 more than on the continent.

In fact, it’s been suggested by Public First consultancy that the mortgage crisis could ‘dwarf’ the energy bill crisis – particularly for middle earners.

Mortgage lenders are reportedly pulling – and then repricing – deals to reflect soaring rates, affecting both first-time buyers and remortgagers across the board.

What this means in real terms is that 800,000 UK households looking to remortgage and 1.6 million homeowners will see their mortgage rates skyrocket. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) last week warned that 1.2 million households struggling with new rates could see their savings depleted by the end of 2023.

The Government have since launched a new Mortgage Charter signed by 32 lenders, including Barclays, Santander and Nationwide Building Society to offer some degree of protection to homeowners. Signatories agreed:

• From 26 June: not to forcibly evict homeowners in less than a year from their first missed payment – unless in exceptional circumstances.
• From 10 July: borrowers approaching the end of a fixed-rate deal can ‘lock’ in a new deal up to six months ahead and will have the right to request a similar deal.
• To offer a new deal that will allow homeowners to switch to interest-only payments for six months or extend the mortgage term to reduce monthly payments if borrowers have been previously up-to-date with mortgage payments.

While soaring rates will affect most, if not all, homeowners in Britain, self-employed individuals will be one of the groups hit the hardest.

We spoke to accountants across the UK to see how they are supporting their self-employed clients.

High allowable expenses and low tax liability will be a double-edged sword

Clare Bowen, Partner, Monahans

The current interest rate hike will affect those who are on variable rates and when self-employed people renew their mortgage, either because they’ve reached the end of a fixed fee or are reviewing their variable rates. Banks have much more confidence in the continuity of the income of someone who is employed versus the variable income of someone self-employed.

The self-employed also face a catch-22 when looking to get their tax liability as low as possible within the rules set by HMRC. It’s common to log all allowable expenses because this reduces the amount of tax payable on profits. Yet this also brings income down, especially in years where the business invests in assets, and this can be prohibitive when viewed by a bank, which will want to see income as high as possible to offer favourable mortgage rates. This leaves the self-employed stuck between a rock and a hard place.

To support self-employed clients with high mortgage rates and increasing bills, we are advising our clients to seek advice from a financial advisor who will consider the entire financial picture.

When it comes to tax advantages, only a small percentage of self-employed people have significant savings. Those who do should be looking at opportunities to take these out of the tax system and into ISAs, for example, or using them to potentially pay off any high-interest debt.

Advisors will also consider whether taking a self-employed position is the best fit or whether working in a partnership or via a limited company would be more beneficial. Again, this is where the value of an advisor should not be underestimated.

Verdict: Self-employed who keep their tax liability as low as possible by logging allowable expenses bring their income down, making it difficult to get a favourable mortgage rate.

Explore fixed-rate mortgage payments and alternative lenders

Bev Flanagan MAAT, Director, Bev Flanagan Financial

I’m hearing a lot of financial concerns from self-employed clients around higher monthly repayments starting to affect cash flow and reduce disposable income.

There is also the potential impact of increased mortgage rates on their business expenses. Higher mortgage payments could affect overall financial stability, reducing the available capital for business operations or investment.

Self-employed clients are also worried about the potential impact on their ability to secure mortgage loans. Lenders typically assess affordability based on income, and an increase in interest rates could affect how much they can borrow.

Clients may have to juggle their expenses overall, prioritising which are necessary and which they will ultimately have to sacrifice.

As an accountant, I’m trying to help clients with budgeting and financial planning. I often recommend setting aside funds to cover any future increases in mortgage payments to ensure financial stability. Also, some clients may want to explore fixed-rate mortgages to lock in lower interest rates or consider alternative lenders who cater specifically to self-employed individuals.

Verdict: clients should set aside funds now to cover future increases in mortgage payments. Some may also want to explore fixed-rate mortgages or consider alternative lenders.

Putting aside money each month to help cover costs will always be the most appropriate advice

Stuart Crook, Partner, Wellers

There are certainly worries surrounding mortgage rates. Our self-employed clients becoming increasingly concerned as their respective terms and deals come to an end.

For the majority of people, we see and speak to regularly, the main struggle is the uncertainty of costs, both within their sector and from a personal perspective. It is the accumulation of costs rather than specific ones that are proving challenging.

We are looking at time-to-pay options on tax, and some calculations on expected profits, but we have always advised self-employed clients to put aside money for tax each month on a prudent basis. We still see this as the best and most appropriate advice we can offer people.

Of course, if people have been doing this, but these savings are already being used for other working capital purposes, alternative measures are needed.

Verdict: Uncertainty of costs is the main struggle – putting aside money each month to cover costs will always be important.