Originally published 26 March 2025.
How the Right Adjustments Turned Strain into Sustainable Work
Emily worked in the federal government.
On paper, it was a good job.
Stable. Respected. Secure.
In practice, it was exhausting.
Emily is autistic and has Tourette’s. The workplace wasn’t hostile — it was just built around assumptions that didn’t fit how she functioned.
The problem wasn’t her capability.
It was friction.
When “Showing Up” Costs Too Much
Emily struggled with:
- being physically present in the office every day
- managing vocal tics in meetings
- the pressure to self-monitor constantly
- colleagues misinterpreting behaviour as distraction or disengagement
- the cumulative fatigue of masking
None of this showed up in performance metrics.
It showed up in energy loss, stress, and work becoming harder than it needed to be.
Like many neurodivergent professionals, Emily wasn’t failing at her job.
She was paying too high a price to keep doing it.
The Real Risk Wasn’t Performance — It Was Attrition
Here’s what often gets missed in DEI conversations.
People don’t leave jobs because they can’t do the work.
They leave because the conditions make the work unsustainable.
Emily didn’t need:
- resilience training
- confidence coaching
- or another wellbeing webinar
She needed permission to work differently — and the ability to ask for it clearly.
That’s where mentoring came in.
What Mentoring Focused On
The goal wasn’t to escalate or complain.
It was to advocate strategically.
Emily’s mentoring focused on:
- clarifying what actually made work harder (and what didn’t)
- separating “nice to have” from “non-negotiable” adjustments
- preparing clear, professional language for conversations with management
- framing accommodations around productivity and outcomes
- rehearsing how to explain Tourette’s and autism without over-disclosure
This wasn’t emotional processing.
It was preparation.
The Adjustments That Changed Everything
With support, Emily successfully advocated for:
- working from home four days per week
- attending meetings via Zoom
- muting herself during meetings to manage vocal tics
- reducing unnecessary in-office interruptions
- greater flexibility around clinical appointments
These weren’t special privileges.
They were high-impact, low-cost adjustments.
And they worked.
The Result: Less Friction, More Output
Once the environment changed, performance followed.
Emily became:
- more focused
- more consistent
- less fatigued
- clearer in communication
- and more productive working from home
Meetings stopped being a source of stress.
Colleague relationships improved because misunderstandings reduced.
Clinical appointments became easier to manage without workplace disruption.
Nothing about Emily changed.
The system did.
This Is What “Putting Ability First” Actually Looks Like
Diversity, equity, and inclusion often get reduced to policy statements.
But inclusion only matters if it changes how work is done.
Putting ability first means:
- designing roles around outcomes, not presence
- allowing flexibility where it improves performance
- trusting adults to manage their work when barriers are removed
- and recognising that different doesn’t mean difficult
Emily didn’t need to be managed more closely.
She needed space to work properly.
The Bottom Line
Neurodivergent professionals don’t need fixing.
They need:
- permission to advocate
- language to explain their needs
- and systems that don’t punish difference
When that happens, organisations don’t just retain staff.
They get better work.
Emily’s story isn’t about accommodation.
It’s about common sense.
And it’s what real inclusion looks like in practice.