Induction for new employees

The more information all new employees have about your workplace, the easier it will be for them to settle in

As with any employee, after you hire a new autistic employee, it’s important to make sure they know:

  • Where exactly they’ll be working
  • What their daily duties will be
  • What the typical working day looks like at your organisation:
    • When are scheduled breaks?
    • Is there a place to purchase lunch onsite?
  • What are specific policies relating to things like:
    • Taking unscheduled breaks
    • Dress code
    • Making reasonable adjustments if needed

On the first day on the job, an autistic person should understand where they can go for support. This includes meeting people important to the reasonable adjustment process or the workplace culture in general like:

  • HR officers
  • Line managers
  • Co-workers
  • Immediate supervisor

Newly hired autistic employees should also understand the location of spaces important to their wellbeing. You could even provide a map detailing this information. For example:

  • Where can they go for silence and solitude?
  • Where is the nearest lavatory?
  • Where is the office of their supervisor?
  • Where is the HR department?

The specific information you need to provide during your induction will depend on the structure of your organisation and the needs of your individual staff.