Neurodiversity business group launches in Westminster
'ND in Business' wants enterprises to embrace people with conditions like Tourettes, Autism and ADHD.
A new group that teaches businesses how to embrace people with conditions like Tourettes, Autism and ADHD has been launched in Westminster.
They often struggle to find a place in the world of business and require adjustments in the workplace.
Waltham Forest MP Kwasi Kwarteng officially launched 'ND in Business' in the Houses of Parliament this week. It's had backing from MPs across all parties.
Big names like Natwest, Unilever and Astra Zeneca are among the more than 100 organisations that have already signed up for membership with the business forum.
The forum has made it's goal persuading big businesses that those reasonable adjustments are often not costly and are worth making to build a more diverse workforce.
Reasonable adjustments for Autistic people can include giving fixed hours rather than variable shifts, extra breaks and making sure the area around a staff member's desk is quiet.
Dan Harris is the CEO of the forum. He told Greatest Hits Radio the group exists to show businesses those changes are worth making.
"We're trying to get across the message that the reasonable adjustments that need to be made in order to enable people to deliver their best at work tend to be not terribly time consuming or costly or difficult to implement.
"Just as we accept people performing different ways at different tasks, we should also accept that our neurodivergent team mates, they also will excel at certain areas and in other areas they may need more support or more accommodation.
"It's society which potentially disables us, it's society which potentially inhibits our best performance and if we make small adjustments then actually we're going to get the best out of your workforce."
Monthly workshops will showcase the journeys and stories of key companies and individuals all in the name of creating a culture of best practice.
Dan told Greatest Hits Radio many businesses are shocked nothing like this has been thought up before.
"We in the UK have made great strides on other areas of diversity and inclusion, sexuality, gender balance, ethnicity, but neurodiversity has unfortunately sat in the 'too hard to deal with' bucket for too long.
"Neurodiversity can and should be a competitive advantage. Businesses are waking up to this idea and actively implementing programmes around neurodiversity at work which are designed to enable their neurodivergent teammates to come to work with their authentic self.
"When you have true diversity of thought in project teams, you actually get meaningfully better outcomes."
You can find out more about 'Neurodiverse in Business' here.