So I'm Out Of A Job...Again

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I've actually been forced out of a job 4 times in my life. While the past 3 have all been things that I can specifically attribute that I messed up in a certain way, with my diagnosis of ASD this year, I believe that they all stem from complications of being an Aspie in a place that just wasn't tolerant.

So now, for a second year in a row, I am out of a job. However, I wish I had recorded some one on one conversations between my now former boss and I. I was basically put on report for my attitude and not fostering good relationships with people. I was told that I couldn't go seeking out who made what complaints (probably because of whistle-blower laws). However, that cut my feet out of under me in the long run. I am an honest guy and have low tolerance for negative energy, so my tendency in situations like that is "who did I wrong and how can I fix it".

There was one person on my staff that actually brought up to me that he was uncomfortable with how I handled something once. Because he was a retired educator, I had a behind closed doors conversation with him where I revealed my diagnosis.

After being put on report, I revealed the same to my boss. He seemed fairly supportive, but these conversations continued. I deep dove in to the Aspie deficiencies with him. After doing this, he acknowledged where those inabilities were, but then proceeded to tell me "I needed to work on fixing them". But, he said as long as I showed desire and effort to get better at these things, that I was in good shape. I did EVERYTHING I possibly could to do that.

When I was dismissed from the job, I asked what was the last straw that led to it. My boss said I "knew what conversations he and I had". While he was out of the room and I was having my exit with the HR person, I explained I felt like I was not set up for success. One part was the job, because the concept of how they wanted it was ill-conceived from the start (which I called that 3 months in). The other part was about the social due to the ASD. The HR person said it wouldn't have helped if I had informed them the day I was given the diagnosis because it was performance based, but still wouldn't tell me what. On top of that, they tried to get me to sign an agreement going out the door that I absolved them of anything basically. It would have prevented me from filing for unemployment as well, but I wouldn't sign it for everything I just told you. They basically held me hostage with it because I asked to take it and discuss it with my wife that evening (they would have given me "severance" money if I had signed). But they said if I walked out of the building without signing it, the agreement was off the table.

I wish I had recorded conversations. I believe I would have something actionable from an ADA perspective if so.

This sucks. Do you have a union?

Right to work state.

Look up the EEOC nearest you. You can text chat with or call them on the phone. Staff there can determine if anything that happened is chargeable under the ADA or other laws (if you have the energy to do so).

Other than that, are you looking for work? Don't wait too long. Others probably have specific and better suggestions about disclosure at work and asking for accommodations.

The Job Accommodation Network has specific ideas on accommodation for aspies and auties as well as other valuable information.

Best wishes. Don't give up on yourself ever!! !

Yeah, I am looking for work. My NT wife reminds me every day that we can't make all of our bills on just her salary. I've been applying for jobs and interviewing already. Problem is, some of the basic Wal-Mart type jobs have always excluded me (even back when I was a teenager). Those random questions that always get asked in those applications mills work against me, and I frankly can't process how to fool those to actually get an interview. Funny thing is, in my entire job history, all the jobs I left on my own were ones that I was referred to by someone I knew. All the ones I got on my own are the jobs that the decision to leave was made for me.