Parents of neurodivergent children forced to sacrifice careers because of failing support systems, new national survey finds

New findings from neurodiversity charity Salvesen Mindroom Centre (Mindroom) highlight 88% say caring responsibilities have limited their career progression, while more than half provide the equivalent of a full-time working week of unpaid care.

Leading neurodiversity charity Salvesen Mindroom Centre (Mindroom) has published a pioneering national survey examining the workplace experiences of parents and carers of neurodivergent children, revealing thousands are being forced to reduce hours, turn down career opportunities or leave work altogether because of gaps in health, education and family support.

Based on responses from over 250 parents and carers surveyed across Scotland and the UK in Autumn 2025, Holding It All Together: Workplace Experiences of Parents and Carers of Neurodivergent Children (supported by Baillie Gifford’s Neurodiversity Network) suggests the biggest barriers to employment are not caring responsibilities alone, but delays in diagnosis, fragmented services and inconsistent support.

The full findings will be unveiled at an online launch event on 4 August, where Mindroom will present the research for the first time, explore what it means for families, employers and policymakers, and outline the action needed to tackle the issues identified. Registration is now open.

The report paints a stark picture of parents trying to balance employment with caring responsibilities:

  • 88% said caring responsibilities had limited their career progression
  • 80% reported a negative impact on household income.
  • 98% said the experience had negatively impacted their mental health.
  • 55% provide 30 hours or more of unpaid care each week.
  • 74% have changed their working patterns, and 58% have reduced their hours.
  • Despite this, 69% continue to balance professional or management roles and 44% work in hybrid roles. 

Mindroom’s report’s central message is that the difficulties experienced by parents and carers are not caused by neurodivergent children themselves, but by systems that fail to provide timely and coordinated support. The report is launched alongside Mindroom’s 2025 Impact Report, which highlights rising demand across Scotland.

In 2025 alone, the charity supported 2,172 children, young people and families, received 1,801 new enquiries, and has seen demand increase by 309% since 2020. *

Aileen Shrimpton, Mindroom’s Director of Development, says: “Supporting parents and carers is not a niche issue.

“When support is delayed or inconsistent, families carry the consequences, and so do workplaces. This report provides a baseline for action.”

Gill Christie, Baillie Gifford, Chair of employee-led Neurodiversity Network, on behalf of the project team, continues: “Parents and carers of neurodivergent children are still holding work, family life and overstretched systems together, often invisibly.

The challenges described in this report arise not from them or their children, but from the fallout of systemic pressures outwith their control.”

Alan Thornburrow, CEO of Mindroom, concludes: “This research exposes an invisible workforce issue that has been hiding in plain sight.

“Parents and carers of neurodivergent children are not stepping back from work because they lack ambition or ability. They are doing so because they are carrying the consequences of delayed diagnoses, fragmented services and inadequate support systems.

“When skilled people reduce hours, turn down progression opportunities or leave employment altogether, families lose income, employers lose experienced staff, and the economy loses valuable talent. Supporting these families isn’t simply a welfare issue, it’s an economic one.”

To register for the official online launch event for Holding It All Together and discover the full extent of the findings, please visit: ‘Holding It All Together’ Launch**

To learn more about Mindroom’s work, please visit: Mindroom’s official website

From cruise ships to chartered managers

How two Amazon managers earned their degrees on the job

UNP Amazon 47965 EDI4 CMD Accreditation

Pictured left to right are John Aitken and Gary Burnett at Amazon EDI4, Dunfermline.



©UNP Andy Buchanan
www.unp.co.uk 0845 600 7737
pictures@unp.co.uk

When John Aiken and Gary Burnett first crossed paths at Amazon’s Dunfermline fulfilment centre, they had more in common than either might have expected.

Both had arrived at Amazon via unconventional routes. Both had quietly wondered whether they were capable of completing a degree-level qualification while holding down demanding full-time roles. And both, it turned out, were more than capable.

Having recently completed the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA) – John through Glasgow Caledonian University and Gary through the University of Exeter – the pair are now among a growing number of Amazon employees demonstrating that higher education doesn’t have to mean stepping away from the workplace to achieve it.

John’s route to Amazon was a significant career change. Before joining the company in August 2021, he had spent years working in entertainment on cruise ships – a world away from the logistics industry. 

“Coming to Amazon was very much a career change,” he says. “Obviously 2020 came around, COVID hit, and it was time to find a new career trajectory.”

The shift proved more natural than it might have seemed on paper. John draws parallels between his former life and his current role – particularly around managing people across diverse cultures and backgrounds, something he encountered daily at sea and now navigates as General Manager’s Assistant in the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and stakeholder management space.

When the Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship was launched in Scotland, John was part of the very first cohort.

He completed his dissertation in August 2025, choosing to evaluate Amazon’s community and social impact in Scotland – a topic he knew inside out. The paper was subsequently shared internally with Amazon’s Community Impact team for use with their own apprentices.

“What I really liked about it was the broad topics you were studying and being able to put them into practice literally the next day when you’re back on site,” he says. “It catapulted the visibility we have as CMDAs beyond the levels we’re currently sitting at.”

His advice to anyone considering the programme? “Jump in with both feet. It’s not something you just dip your toe into. You don’t know what you can do unless you try.”

Gary’s Amazon story began considerably earlier. He joined the company in 2012 as a temporary agency associate, fresh out of four years in the RAF, simply looking for work.

“When I joined Amazon, that’s exactly what I joined it for,” he admits. “It was supposed to be a stop-gap. I just needed a job.”

Twelve months later he was made permanent. Two years after that, he was a team lead. By 2020, he had stepped up into an area manager role – and for the first time, he started thinking seriously about his career trajectory. The problem was that a degree was a requirement for permanent promotion to level four area manager, and Gary had left school with only standard grades before joining the military. 

Amazon’s solution was to offer him a pathway: first a Level 5 Operations Manager apprenticeship through the University of Exeter, and then a two-year fast-track CMDA programme at the same institution. The CMI accreditation was woven throughout both courses – a smoother, more integrated experience than John’s, though arriving at the same destination.

“I think 82% of people in management positions across all industries are accidental managers,” Gary says, referencing a CMI statistic that clearly resonated. “That’s exactly what I would have been. Now I’m fully trained and professionally accredited – and that gives me a level of confidence in my role.”

Balancing the programme with a full-time job and two young children at home – aged eight and four – was not without its challenges. But Gary credits a shared workplace mentor, who also happened to be his direct line manager for much of the programme, with helping him stay on track. He also leaned heavily on his cohort, forming a small group who would meet on weekends to work through assignments and support one another.

“Lean on your peers,” he urges. “Whether there was much academic value in those calls or not, pushing each other onward definitely helped. It was a problem we were all sharing together.”

Now 35, Gary is a living example that the CMDA is open to anyone willing to commit. “If I can do it – at my age, with a young family, in a full-time job – I think absolutely anybody could.”

Between them, John and Gary represent something broader than two personal success stories. They are the leading edge of a growing community at Amazon in Scotland – with around 30 others now following in their footsteps across first and third year cohorts – proving that professional development and operational excellence are not mutually exclusive.

Pay at Amazon starts from £13.95 or £14.96 per hour depending on location, equating to between £29,037 and £31,116 annually. Additionally, from day one, all employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, and an employee discount. Together, these benefits are worth more than £700 annually, and employees can take advantage of a company pension plan.

Applications are now open for Amazon’s apprenticeship programme.

For more information, visit: www.amazonapprenticeships.co.uk  

One in four workers say managers and unions are failing to prevent conflict, Acas survey finds

More than one-quarter (26%) of workers feel their managers and employee representatives are ineffective at working together to prevent and resolve conflict, according to a new Acas survey.

The survey, carried out by YouGov, also found that nearly one in three (31%) workers do not have any employee representatives who could help prevent conflict.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 gives new access rights to trade unions which makes effective employer and trade union relationships critical.

The government has consulted on a Code of Practice on the new independent right of trade unions to access workplaces that is expected to come into force in October 2026. It will provide guidance on how access is requested, agreed and implemented.

Acas is calling on government, trade unions and employers to work together positively to achieve access and prevent conflict.

Kevin Rowan, Acas Director of Dispute Resolution, said: “We know there is a conflict management skills gap in Britain, and our survey shows too many cases where employee representatives and managers are not effective enough at working with each other, leading to conflict and disruption.

“Effective relationships between employee representatives and managers can help build trust, prevent disputes and contribute to productive organisations.

“I’m pleased the new draft Code recognises the valuable work that Acas collective conciliators do to build positive relationships between trade unions and employers. There is need for a balance on both sides on the right for trade union access outlined in the Code.”

Acas’s response to the Government’s consultation makes several recommendations, including how the Code should:

  • balance rights and responsibilities, clarifying that effective access arrangements be meaningful, regular and could be in-person or digital, and unions and employers should work together positively to achieve access
  • promote voluntary agreements on access between unions and employers, rather than rushing to formal procedures, and ensure the Code clearly signposts Acas services

Acas offers training, advice and a free service for managers and representatives to help prevent, manage and resolve conflict at work.

Acas collective conciliation involves working directly with employers and groups of workers or their representatives to settle a dispute. It gives both parties the chance to come to an agreement without taking legal or industrial action.

In 2024-25, Acas handled 522 collective conciliations and helped to resolve 93% of cases.

Acas: What must be included in your written statement of employment

By law, employers must give you a written statement of employment particulars. This applies to:

✅ Anyone legally classed as an employee

✅ Anyone legally classed as a worker (as long as they started on or after 6 April 2020)

This written statement outlines the key details of your job – things like your pay, working hours, and other essential terms.

A lot of people think this document is the employment contract. In reality, legally the contract is much broader than the written statement.

And here’s the important part: Your employer must provide a written statement no matter how long your employment lasts.

We have more advice on written statements and employment contracts to help you. Check the link in the comments below 👇

#EmploymentContract

#HR

#BusinessOwners

Acas calls on employers not to get left behind on changes to parental leave

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has welcomed strong employer awareness of new paternity and parental leave rules coming into effect this month, while encouraging remaining businesses to get up to speed.

A new YouGov survey, commissioned by Acas, showed that 87% of employers were aware of the changes coming into effect next month, while 12% were unaware.

Major changes to employment law introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025 will come into effect on 6 April 2026.

Niall Mackenzie, Acas Chief Executive, said: “The Employment Rights Act 2025 represents a major shake-up in employment law, and employers and workers need to be prepared.

“It is encouraging that so many employers are aware of the new rules, but is clearly still an uncertainty for some. It is vital that all employers are aware of their obligations and are ready to act on them.

“Acas is best placed as the independent expert to provide advice and training to employers and workers navigating this period of change.”

Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden said: “No new parent should miss out on time with their child because they haven’t been in their job long enough.  Our reforms to parental leave are putting that right.

“I’m glad to see so many employers are prepared for the changes, to make sure workers get the benefits and security they deserve.”

Changes to employment law coming into effect on 6 April include:

  • employees will be eligible for paternity leave from the first day of employment- Currently they must have worked for their employer for 26 weeks
  • ordinary unpaid parental leave, will also become a day one right – currently, employees must have worked for their employer for 1 year to be eligible
  • the restriction on taking paternity leave after shared parental leave will be removed
  • eligible fathers and partners will be able to take up to 52 weeks of unpaid bereaved partner’s paternity leave if the mother or primary adopter dies – they must take this leave within 52 weeks of the child’s birth (including surrogacy), adoption placement, or entry to Great Britain for overseas adoptions

Employers and managers can get training from Acas about changes to paternity and parental leave.

Supporting parents and carers to work

Thousands of families to gain new opportunities to learn, earn and thrive

As a result of £21 million of new, targeted investment in colleges and skills, families at risk of poverty will receive additional support to train, to help them enter stable, well-paid work or progress in their career.

The Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan includes £9 million for a Raising Income through Skills and Education (RISE) Fund, which will give parents and carers practical help to build new skills – offering training they can fit around family life, along with essential support with childcare, travel, and study costs.

A £2 million Training Access Fund will support working adult learners most at risk of poverty to access skills training, to give them the chance to earn more and build a stable career.

A new £10 million Flexible Workforce Development Fund will aim to incentivise businesses to offer training opportunities to parents earning low incomes in a way that meets employer needs while helping working parents and carers increase their earning potential and progress in their careers.

Further Education Minister Ben Macpherson said: “We are committed to making sure that education and training works for everyone, especially those who need it most, as part of our wider efforts to eradicate poverty in Scotland.

“Every person deserves opportunities to build a better future for themselves and their household. This £21 million package of targeted investment in skills will help remove barriers to training, such as childcare and transport costs, which can too often stand between parents and the skills that they need to get on in work.”

Gavin Donoghue, Chief Executive of Colleges Scotland, said: “Colleges are strong community anchors across the country, and the funding pledged kick starts a range of ways that colleges can accelerate and expand programmes that support people to leave poverty.

“The investment into more anti-poverty programmes is welcome recognition of the huge part that colleges play in making people’s lives better.

“Colleges are an opportunity that works, serving learners from some of Scotland’s most deprived communities and are a driving force for social good in every part of the country.”

Jacqui Brasted, Scottish Funding Council Director of Access, Learning and Outcomes, said: “Every child should have the opportunity to flourish. Scotland’s colleges can play a vital role in transforming lives by providing a lasting route out of poverty.

“They offer access to the skills and education needed to support families enter, remain and progress in work. We are delighted to be working with Colleges Scotland to ensure that the welcome funding provided by the Scottish Government is targeted where it is needed most.”

Scotland’s first Center Parcs to create 1,200 jobs

New holiday resort in the Scottish Borders

Scotland’s first Center Parcs resort will create 1,200 permanent new jobs First Minister John Swinney announced today, as he visited the site near Hawick in the Scottish Borders where the resort will be built.

The Scottish Government has committed up to £30 million over five years to deliver the essential infrastructure needed to make the resort possible. The funding, which will be delivered via South of Scotland Enterprise, unlocks more than £420 million in private funding from Center Parcs, which could not proceed without it.

Work is expected to begin on site in spring 2026, with the resort set to open in summer 2029. The development is expected to increase tourism to the area by 38%, generating £87 million annually for the Scottish economy.

The resort will offer families across Scotland a high-quality staycation option closer to home, reducing the need to travel abroad for short breaks.

First Minister John Swinney said: “Economic growth must reach the people and places that need it most. Investing in the South of Scotland through this project is a direct expression of our belief that every part of Scotland deserves to benefit from a growing economy.

“Investing here is a deliberate statement that we are serious about reducing regional inequality and creating genuine opportunity for young people — 30% of these 1,200 jobs are targeted at 16-to-24-year-olds. 

“It is a privilege to be here with local school children to start planting new trees for the site and I look forward to seeing the development of the project before the resort opens in 2029.”

Center Parcs CEO Colin McKinlay said: “We are very grateful for the support of the Scottish Government, as well as South of Scotland Enterprise, Scottish Borders Council, and the many other partners who have worked with us to unlock the potential of this project.

“Center Parcs will have a transformational effect on the South of Scotland, bringing jobs, tourism, supply chain opportunities and significant economic benefits. It is incredibly exciting for work on site to now be getting underway and we were delighted that the First Minister could join us to commemorate this key milestone.”

Chair of South of Scotland Enterprise Russel Griggs said: “This is a significant moment for the South of Scotland, with Center Parcs being one of a number of big investments we are currently welcoming to our region.

“Center Parcs presents massive opportunities and will help diversify the visitor economy, attract new people, deliver inclusive growth and provide significant supply chain opportunities for SMEs and entrepreneurs.

“This investment also provides a chance to tackle head-on the economic challenges of the past which still impact communities such as Hawick.”

Planning permission for Center Parcs was granted by Scottish Borders Council in December 2025. 

Debbi goes to Holyrood!

Debbi McCulloch, Chief Executive Officer of the Spartans Community Foundation, gave evidence in the Parliament yesterday, where she spoke extensively to the Education, Children and Young People’s Committee about the Foundation’s work in Pilton and the wider community.

During the evidence session Ms McCulloch said that North Edinburgh has fantastic networks and collaboration, referring to R2 and that network’s ability to signpost and help individuals and directly help individuals who might otherwise be missed:

https://scottishparliament.tv/meeting/education-children-and-young-people-committee-march-18-2026?clip_start=10:53:02&clip_end=10:56:28

Ms McCulloch said that 94% of young people surveyed by the Spartans said that they felt like they had a trusted adult at the foundation.

She says the Foundation’s work has increased employment and volunteering opportunities and has provided families with a place where they can come and be listened to in a dignified way:

https://scottishparliament.tv/meeting/education-children-and-young-people-committee-march-18-2026?clip_start=10:27:43&clip_end=10:31:30

Ms McCulloch also gave examples of the impact of the Foundation’s work, referring to Naomi Hume, who is now the Assistant Operations Manager, who started off attending the Foundation’s Street Football offering:

https://scottishparliament.tv/meeting/education-children-and-young-people-committee-march-18-2026?clip_start=10:36:41&clip_end=10:40:01

Employers are failing to support neurodiversity at work

Over a third of workers (35%) think that their employer is ineffective at training managers to support neurodiversity at work, according to a new Acas survey.

The survey, carried out by YouGov, of 1,000 employees across Great Britain found that just 32% think their organisation effectively trains managers to make reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent colleagues.

By contrast, 35% said their employer was ineffective, with 18% of those describing their employer as “very ineffective.” Almost one-third (32%) of respondents said they didn’t know how effective their employer was at supporting neurodivergent staff, pointing to a potential lack of understanding of neurodiversity at work.

Julie Dennis, Acas Head of Inclusive Workplace Strategy and Policy said: “These stats show a potentially worrying lack of knowledge when it comes to supporting neurodivergent colleagues, and how to put support at the centre of workplace policies and training.

“Supporting neurodivergent staff can be simple and cost-effective, and it should be integral to any business. When everyone is given the chance to thrive, every business can too.

“Acas has advice and training for employers on how to raise awareness, be inclusive, sensitive, and stay within the law when managing neurodiversity at work.”

Neurodiversity describes the natural differences in how people’s brains behave and process information. Well-known types of neurodivergence include neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia.

A lot of neurodivergent people do not see themselves as disabled but will often be considered as having a disability under the Equality Act.

The Equality Act gives disabled employees protection against discrimination and the right to reasonable adjustments at work. A reasonable adjustment is a change that an employer makes to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to someone’s disability.

According to Acas figures, around 15-20% of adults experience and process the world differently. Acas advice is that employers should make their organisation more inclusive, so that staff feel comfortable sharing and talking about neurodiversity.

Acas has some top tips for employers:

  • Support line managers: Give managers the skills and confidence to recognise needs, agree adjustments and help people perform at their best.
  • Build real knowledge: Provide practical training so everyone understands how to support neurodivergent colleagues.
  • Cocreate guidance: Work with neurodivergent staff to design policies, guidance and training that reflect real experiences and needs.

Acas has training in the year ahead on neurodiversity and advice too:

https://www.acas.org.uk/neurodiversity

Decline in remote jobs could undermine Government plans to get Britain working, research warns

  • Findings from the UK’s largest mixed‑methods study of disabled remote and hybrid workers show that 85% of respondents say access to homeworking is essential or very important when looking for a new job
  • Nearly half (46%) of the participants in the Inclusive Remote and Hybrid Working Study want to work remotely all the time, with disabled women and disabled carers more likely to want to work fully from home 
  • However, analysis of Adzuna job vacancy data shows declining levels of remote job opportunities. In 2024/25, only one in 23 job adverts on Adzuna (4.3%) were fully remote – half the level seen during the pandemic peak of 8.7% in 2020/21
  • Growth in the availability of hybrid jobs appears to have stalled, with only one in seven (13.5%) job vacancies offering hybrid work in 2024/25
  • Researchers warn a shortage of suitable jobs could undermine the Government’s ambition to get Britain working, and echo a recent House of Lords call for Ministers to ensure remote and hybrid working is being prioritised to boost disabled people’s employment.

The Government’s plan to get people working could face a significant challenge as remote-only job opportunities decline, warn researchers behind the largest study of disabled workers experiences of remote and hybrid working in the UK.

Research shows that almost half (46%) of 1,221 survey participants wanted to work remotely all the time, yet the numbers of remote jobs in the UK have decreased drastically since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, with 50% fewer remote only roles advertised compared to 2020/21.

As part of the largest study of disabled workers’ experiences of remote and hybrid work in the UK – conducted by researchers from Lancaster University, the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Universal Inclusion, and funded by the Nuffield Foundation – researchers studied job vacancy data from global job platform, Adzuna.

Remote and hybrid working remain more common than before the pandemic, but growth is slowing. In the year to April 2025, 17.8% of UK vacancies offered either fully remote (4.3%) or hybrid roles (13.5%), up from 3.1% pre-pandemic. However, fully remote jobs have fallen sharply since their peak, and growth in hybrid roles has stalled.

Dr Paula Holland from Lancaster University, who led the research, said: “The increased availability of remote and hybrid working since before the pandemic has improved many disabled people’s experience of work.

“Our findings indicate disabled employees gain significant benefits including improved mental and physical health, better work-life balance and increased productivity.

“However, companies mandating returns to the office have seen remote-only opportunities plummet. This could prevent some disabled workers from returning and staying in work. At a time when the Government wants to get people working, access to suitable homeworking roles can be the difference between working or not working.”

At a time when the Government wants to get people working, disabled workers report that access to suitable homeworking roles can be the difference between working or not working.”

Homeworking can support disabled workers, but only if done well

The UK Government has committed to supporting more disabled people to remain in or return to work as part of its wider efforts to boost employment by two million people to an 80% employment rate.

Disabled people currently represent one in four workers in the workforce, but the disability employment gap – the difference between the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people  – remains at 29.8 percentage points.

UK Government study indicates remote work could support people out of work claiming health and disability benefits. One in four respondents (25%) who said they are currently unable to work stated that they could do so if they worked remotely.

The recent House of Lords Home-based Working Inquiry called on the Government to set out whether remote and hybrid working are being considered as part of existing initiatives to support people who are disabled or have long-term health conditions back into work.

The final report of the Inclusive Remote and Hybrid Working Study highlights remote and hybrid working as a key part of the solution to improving employment outcomes for disabled people. Key findings include:

·        64% of fully remote disabled workers said their work pattern positively affected their physical health, compared to 31% of those working remotely less than half the time

·        46% of participants wanted to work remotely all the time. There was also demand for hybrid working: 25% wanted to work from home four days a week and 27% for three days or less. Only 1.6% wanted to stop working from home

·        Women, carers and people with multiple or severely limiting impairments/health conditions were particularly likely to report they only wanted to work from home

·        85% of participants said that having access to remote/hybrid working would be essential or very important if looking for a new job. 79% would not apply for a job without remote options

·        Black and ethnic minority workers and less affluent workers were significantly less likely than white or more affluent workers to report remote/hybrid working had positive outcomes for their health and employment.

Dr Paula Holland continues, “Remote and hybrid working can benefit both employees and employers. The organisations we interviewed reported improved staff retention and recruitment as a result of implementing remote working policies including reduced sick leave and improved wellbeing.

“However, employers must ensure disabled workers have the resources and support they need. Over half of survey participants reported reasonable adjustments to support working from home had not been implemented, and black and ethnic minority workers reported significantly less positive outcomes.”

Rebecca Florisson, Principal Analyst, from the Work Foundation at Lancaster University commented: “For many disabled workers, homeworking isn’t a ‘nice to have’ – it’s essential to be able to enter into, and remain in work.

“Our research shows strong demand for remote and hybrid work among disabled people, yet fully remote job vacancies have halved since the pandemic and growth in hybrid jobs has stalled.

“If the Government is serious about getting Britain working, it must make sure the right jobs are available by expanding access to flexible work. Threats to cut disabled people’s welfare will not support them into work if the jobs they need simply aren’t there.”

Amongst its recommendations, the study calls on the UK Government to:

1.     Expand access to remote and hybrid jobs by making these and other forms of flexible working a core part of efforts to increase disabled people’s employment, including through clearing Access to Work backlogs

2.     Encourage employers to advertise flexibility upfront, including remote and hybrid options, particularly on the DWP’s Find a Job portal.

3.     Address regional inequalities in access to hybrid work through the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

4.     Strengthen reasonable adjustments, ensuring employers properly consider remote and hybrid working and meet their duties under the Equality Act 2010.

5.     Improve accountability, including requiring large employers to report on outcomes for disabled workers.

Simon, a graphic designer from Derby who has Long Covid, works in a fully remote job for a design agency. He said, “Remote work lets me work. I have chronic fatigue, post-exertional malaise (PEM), and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS).

“Walking a short distance or going up the stairs can really exhaust me. Because I’m energy-limited, I need to budget my energy, pace myself and regularly lie down to rest.

“The adaptations I need are not so much equipment, but the ability to be able to take regular breaks throughout the day, where I can rest and recharge. Homeworking is much more tailored to my needs than being in the office.

“I can make the most of my working hours without a commute, so that means I have much more energy available to use for work itself. I’d find the commute to the office exhausting.

“Remote work has been a lifeline and my employer has been very supportive. Despite my health challenges, I’m just as productive working from home as I was at the office.”

Rebecca from Merseyside is a business manager in the public sector on a temporary fixed-term contract. She is autistic and has ADHD with comorbid anxiety and depression, she said, “I’ve been remote-only since 2020.

“I got an occupational health recommendation for permanent homeworking. The lack of external disruption allows me to better manage my condition.”

She has been looking for a new job for over 20 months, as she is on a temporary fixed-term contract. Rebecca continues: “I would be waiting forever if I only searched for homeworking roles.

In the last year, I’ve been offered four jobs but three have been withdrawn upon receipt of my occupational health recommendation.”

She has now accepted a new permanent full-time home-working contract at a lower salary than her current role, as she doesn’t believe she’ll find another homeworking job at her existing level that meets her needs.

Vera, from London, is in her twenties and works remotely for a healthcare company. Following stem cell treatment for her multiple sclerosis (MS), she was unable to return to a frontline role.

A recent study by the Work Foundation and the MS Society found that nearly half of people with MS (47%) look for job locations that require little or no travel.

“Remote work has made it possible for me to stay in employment — without it I couldn’t work,” she says. “While I’ve reduced my hours to four days a week, working from home means I can manage cognitive fatigue and rest during lunch breaks so I can stay productive.

“But I feel stuck, as there are so few remote-only roles. These are realistically the only roles I can apply for if I want to keep working and progress in my career.”

The report ‘Breaking down barriers: How remote and hybrid work can support disabled workers’ is published at: 

https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/inclusive-working/ 

and 

https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundation/breaking-down-barriers.