“At Home with My Sausage Dog” : Extending the Job Demands-Resources Model to Autistic Employees Working Flexibly

Abstract

Introduction:

In recent decades, digital transformation and digital technologies have increasingly enabled flexible working arrangements. Internationally, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed significantly to a surge in flexible working arrangements. Paralleling these changes in the nature of work, the momentum of neurodiversity initiatives has resulted in more organizations recognizing the benefits of recruiting neurodivergent talents, many of whom have flexible working arrangements. While these arrangements have been associated with various positive outcomes, it is important to recognize that they may not be universally advantageous for autistic employees.

Methods:

This study adopted a qualitative descriptive design. Based on interviews with autistic employees and supervisors/line managers of autistic workers in flexible working arrangements (N = 18) across various industries in Australia, we identified the benefits, challenges, and necessary supports for autistic employees working flexibly. Utilizing a Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) perspective, we identified the essential components under job resources, personal resources, job demands, and personal demands important for autistic employees working remotely.

Results:

We identified eight main themes related to benefits and eight related to challenges, along with 13 themes categorized across organizational, team, and individual levels that facilitate flexible working arrangements. These themes were associated with job and personal resources, as well as job and personal demands, according to the JD-R model.

Conclusion:

Drawing from the research findings and utilizing the JD-R perspective, our framework advances our knowledge of flexible working arrangements theory, identifying best practices for enhancing the well-being and productivity of autistic employees in flexible working arrangement settings, informing the creation of diverse and productive work environments for autistic employees. This framework has the potential to equip managers, autistic employees, and stakeholders with practical tools and insights contributing toward further inclusion of autistic workers in employment.

Community Brief

Why is this an important issue?

While internationally there is recognition of the need to include more autistic individuals in employment, autistic individuals continue to experience many barriers in the workplace. Understanding the barriers and facilitators that autistic people experience when working flexibly (in relation to where and when work is completed) can help their inclusion at work making the workforce more diverse.

What was the purpose of this study?

We wanted to know the benefits to autistic individuals of working flexibly, what they need, and how to support them.

What did the researchers do?

We spoke to 14 autistic staff about their experiences in flexible working arrangements and four line managers/supervisors about their experiences in providing and supporting autistic staff working flexibly.

What were the results of the study?

We found that having clear job duties and goals, support from managers and colleagues, flexible work guidelines, and education about autism were helpful for doing well, maintaining mental well-being and feeling good when working flexibly. Furthermore, not having to mask their autism helped reduce burnout. For autistic individuals, being able to make their own decisions and organize themselves was important. However, some things made it harder to work flexibly, such as communicating and engaging in online meetings, being alone too much, getting too focused on one thing, and being easily distracted.

What do these findings add to what was already known?

We used a model of job demands and resources to explain our discoveries that may help employers and autistic employees understand how to make work better for autistic individuals working in flexible arrangements.

What are the potential weaknesses in the study?

Most of the participants in our study were autistic females, and we did not look at any other conditions they may have had. In the future, we should do research with more participants, of different genders and with different conditions to support our findings. Also, because we only studied a small group of people with data collected at a single point in time, we are unsure if our findings apply to other situations.

How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?

Our findings will help autistic adults understand the advantages and difficulties that come with flexible working arrangements and provide a guideline for employers in supporting autistic employees to work flexibly.