Beyond the Tick Box: Why the System Fails Neurodiverse Jobseekers

October 24, 2025

“He only asked to be paid for his work.” That’s how it started.

Tom Boyd — a young autistic man who’d volunteered at Waitrose for years — reportedly lost his chance of a paid job after daring to ask for something so simple, so reasonable, so human: to be compensated for his time.

When his story spread, it wasn’t just one man’s disappointment that echoed across the autistic community. It was recognition. We’d seen this before. We’d lived it.

Because Tom’s story isn’t about one company.It’s about a broken system — one that still treats neurodiverse people as problems to manage, rather than people to empower.

The System Isn’t Broken — It Was Built This Way

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled and neurodiverse staff — flexible hours, sensory-friendly environments, clearer communication.

But too many workplaces still act as if “reasonable” means “optional.”

Instead of inclusion, we get indifference. Instead of support, we get silence. And while policies promise fairness, the reality on the ground often feels like a maze with no exit — especially for those whose minds don’t fit neatly into the boxes someone else designed.

Recruitment: The Maze with No Map

Finding a job should be exciting. But for many neurodiverse people, it’s exhausting.

Application forms demand perfection.Interviews test performance, not potential.Job descriptions overflow with coded phrases like “fast-paced environment” or “excellent communication skills.”

Translation?

“We haven’t thought about you.”

And even when you do everything right, you might find out the job was already promised to someone else. Legal? Sure. Ethical? Absolutely not.

Then there’s the Jobcentre experience — once meant to guide, now reduced to box-ticking bureaucracy. Instead of real advice, too many are handed a list of generic job sites and told to “check daily.”

Where’s the humanity in that?

Schools: Where Conformity Begins

The roots of this problem start early.

Our education system still values compliance over creativity — grades over growth, silence over curiosity.

Neurodiverse kids are often told to “try harder,” “fit in,” or “be normal.” But what if they’re not the ones who need to change?

We’ve built classrooms that teach children how to memorise, not how to imagine. And in doing so, we’re crushing the very creativity, logic, and empathy that workplaces desperately need.

A system that punishes difference is a system that fails everyone.

The Language of Exclusion

Words can open doors — or slam them shut.

Phrases like “team player,” “outgoing,” or “works well under pressure” sound harmless to some, but they send silent signals that certain minds don’t belong.

Imagine if job adverts spoke plainly instead:

• “We value honesty over small talk.”

• “We welcome different thinking styles.”

• “We train our managers in neuroinclusive communication.”

That’s how inclusion begins — not with slogans, but with clarity and courage.

Ethics: More Than a Buzzword

Let’s be honest. Failing to make reasonable adjustments or exploiting neurodiverse volunteers isn’t just wrong — it’s unlawful.

But beyond the law, it’s about decency.When society treats neurodiverse people as expendable, it’s not just those individuals who lose — it’s everyone.

Because the truth is simple:

Inclusive workplaces don’t just feel better — they perform better.

They innovate more. They retain staff longer. They build trust.

Ethics isn’t a PR exercise. It’s the foundation of a better world.

Hope on the Horizon

Despite the failures, there are sparks of light.

After Tom Boyd’s story went public, Asda offered him a paid job — not for publicity, but because it was the right thing to do.

And across the UK, more employers are beginning to get it.They’re rethinking recruitment, offering mentoring, redesigning job descriptions, and realising that neurodiversity isn’t a challenge — it’s an advantage.

It’s not about charity. It’s about change.

The Future Must Be Human

We don’t need more tick boxes.We need trust.

We need systems that see potential, not perfection.Workplaces that value people, not paperwork.And leaders who recognise that diversity isn’t a checkbox — it’s a superpower.

Because inclusion isn’t an act of kindness. It’s a promise — that no one will be left behind simply because their brain works differently.

Let’s stop building barriers disguised as procedures.Let’s start building opportunity — for everyone.

Inclusion isn’t charity. It’s humanity.And the world’s overdue for both.