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appear in the workplace. These sessions can be engaging, practical, and deeply impactful if they go
beyond surface-level awareness.

Crucially, inclusion doesn’t mean treating everyone the same. It means ensuring that all employees—
regardless of communication style, sensory profile, or social preferences—have equal access to success

and a genuine sense of belonging.

5.2.1 Autism related bullying in workplaces

Research suggest that bullying and harassment are common experiences for individuals with

autism in the workplace. However, the exact prevalence of bullying towards autistic employees is
difficult to estimate due to the complex and often hidden nature of bullying behaviour.

A 2018 survey by the National Autistic Society in the UK found that 79% of autistic adults
surveyed reported experiencing anxiety in the workplace, with 42% reporting that this anxiety was due
to social interaction difficulties. Furthermore, 75% of respondents reported experiencing isolation or
exclusion at work, while 58% reported experiencing harassment or bullying.

Another study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders in 2018 found
that autistic employees were more likely to experience bullying and harassment compared to non-

autistic employees. The study found that 69% of autistic participants reported experiencing workplace
bullying and harassment, compared to 52% of non-autistic participants.

The reasons for the high prevalence of bullying towards autistic employees are complex and
can be influenced by a range of factors, including a lack of awareness and understanding of autism in
the workplace, communication difficulties, social isolation, and workplace culture. It is important for

employers and colleagues to take steps to promote inclusivity, respect, and understanding in the
workplace and to provide support for employees with autism who may be at risk of bullying or
harassment. For example, in Great Britain a study conducted in 2012 shows that about a third of autistic
people have experienced in their workplaces bullying and various types of discrimination. As part of this

same study, surveying people with 43% of Autism who stopped paid work for various reasons admitted
that they had quit or fired as a result of mobbing.

5.3 Training and awareness sessions

Despite growing awareness of neurodiversity, many employers and colleagues still lack a basic
understanding of autism—its challenges, as well as its strengths. This knowledge gap can lead to missed
hiring opportunities, stereotypes, and workplace environments that unintentionally exclude or isolate

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Project Number 2023-1-IT01-KA220-VET-000152721