Polygon Created with Sketch. Home | Research

Building workplaces where neurodivergent workers thrive

Neurodiversity means that people naturally differ in terms of how they think, understand information, interact, and communicate with others. Studies show that neurodivergent individuals demonstrate significant potential to be highly engaged and productive employees. However, barriers to their employment persist. According to the most recent Canadian Survey on Disability, only 33 per cent of adults on the Autism spectrum reported being employed in 2017.

Neurodivergent individuals experience barriers in accessing employment and often lack the supports and accommodations that facilitate career progression and access to leadership-track positions.

Our report explores strategies and best practices for reducing the economic and social costs associated with the low workplace engagement, employment, and productivity of neurodivergent employees in Canada.

Our research identifies three first steps for improving the workplace experience for neurodivergent Canadians:

  • Increase transparency in the accommodation process of available supports.
  • Implement company-wide neurodiversity awareness training.
  • Offer more flexibility in work arrangements.

Key insights

Neurodivergent workers and managers express positive attitudes toward neurodiversity in the workplace.

However, non-neurodivergent managers in particular would benefit from a strengthened understanding of the barriers that neurodivergent employees face.

Half of neurodivergent employees surveyed feel that informing their employers about their neurodiversity status might limit their opportunities for career progression or have other negative repercussions.

Related content

Research

Adoption Ready? The AI Exposure of Jobs and Skills in Canada’s Public Sector Workforce

This project investigates how artificial intelligence adoption could affect Canada’s public sector workforce, examining whether AI is more likely to assist workers with job tasks or automate those tasks entirely.
Group of people sitting in row in front of speaker and clapping hands
Research

DiversityLeads: Barriers and Enablers to Advancement for Equity-Deserving Groups

This report identifies significant barriers that hinder career advancement and enablers that allow leaders from equity-deserving groups to succeed. It is important to track progress because what gets measured gets done, especially at a time when Canada’s workers are aging and immigration levels are lowering, leaving a widening skills and talent gap for employers.
Aerial view of Downtown Vancouver
Research

EDI Best Practices for Municipalitiesexternal link icon

The Diversity Institute, the City of Kingston, and the Future Skills Centre, partnered to collect and share Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Reconciliation (EDIR) practices from municipalities across Canada to develop a searchable database of EDIR resources. Currently, there are 260 best practices available through the tool.
View all Research