Autistic Employment: Challenges, Opportunities and Rights in the UK
- Mable Green
- Nov 21, 2025
- 3 min read
Employment discrimination against individuals with autism in the UK is a significant issue. Only twenty per cent of Autistic people get work compared to fifty per cent of disabled people as a whole. Despite legal protections and increasing awareness, many individuals with autism still encounter various forms of discrimination in the workplace, and that's if they get there.
A person may prefer not to say they are autistic for fear of being judged. The result could be increased anxiety during the interview, making it harder to judge social interaction and preventing the person from proving their worth.
Waitrose job U-turn over rejected autistic worker
Published
24 October 2025
Waitrose has reversed its decision not to offer paid work to an autistic man after initially saying he had to stop stacking shelves at the store where he had volunteered for four years.
The Law of Employment
Equality Act 2010: This legislation protects individuals from workplace discrimination based on disability, including autism. It requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that employees with disabilities are not at a disadvantage.
Reasonable Adjustments: Employers are legally obligated to provide accommodations that could help autistic employees perform their jobs effectively. This might include flexible working hours, changes to the work environment, or specific support systems.
Autism Act 2009
Focus on Adults: The Autism Act 2009, a groundbreaking legislation, is the first disability-specific law in England, marking a significant step towards improving services for adults with autism.
Strategic Influence: The Act set the stage for the 'Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives' strategy, a beacon of hope later enhanced by the 'Think Autism' strategy. With their comprehensive guidance, these strategies play a pivotal role in improving health, social care, and support services for adults with autism.
Statutory Guidance: The Act underscores the government's commitment to produce statutory guidance for local authorities and NHS bodies on implementing the autism strategy, thereby ensuring that the needs of autistic adults are met.
Real World for Employment
Reasonable adjustment means that the employer supports an employee to enable them to work and prevent discrimination. Many people with learning difficulties have only been classed as having problems because they have been through an education system that does not understand them. In the real world, they have skills and unique abilities that go overlooked.
Autism Act 2009 - 10 years on its 'hold'
Over the last 10 years, the National Autism Society believe not enough has been done. Two out of three autistic people are not getting the basic living support they need. The Autism strategy was updated in 2019, but then delayed until 2012, and then action was taken for only one year. As it stands, the Government is prioritising the updated version of the 'Autism Strategy', so the Autism Act is on hold.
Employment Stats
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published data called 'Outcomes for Disabled People in 2020'—this covered topics such as education, employment, housing and loneliness.
22% of Autistic people reported having paid work
75% of adult Autistic still live at home compared to 16% of disabled adults
Well-being - rates of anxiety in Autism are higher than in other disabilities and the general public as a whole.
A recent review aimed to boost the employment prospects of autistic people. The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, said:
We know autistic people can face barriers moving into employment and staying there. This is often down to the employers themselves not having the tools to support autistic people, or truly understanding the value of a neurodiverse workforce.
People with autism have particularly low employment rates – with fewer than three in 10 in work – but the Buckland Review of Autism Employment, supported by charity Autistica and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), is aiming to change that.
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