Employing Autistic Individuals on Site

Careful consideration should be given to the needs of the local community.

Sites should provide opportunities to help disadvantaged individuals. This not only draws in a more diverse workforce but also shows the caring and considerate nature of the construction industry.

This site provided support for operatives on the autistic spectrum in several different ways:

• The ganger’s son had Aspergers and was employed as an Attendant Labourer, as well as spending time assisting the site engineer;
• An autistic operative was also recruited locally, with the site team ensuring additional support was in place to maintain correct levels of supervision for both employees;
• The site team ensured that both individuals felt able to approach others with any concerns whether it be site related or of a personal nature to provide a fulfilling and inclusive work environment;
• Both team members were closely supervised allowing staff to quickly identify and address any sensory or personal factors before they negatively impacted on the work experience;
• The site sponsored an autism charity and actively promoted better understanding of the condition with resources available on site

Describing working with people on the autistic spectrum, Mark Flewitt at ISG said:

“We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response to our employment approach, which fundamentally is about providing an equal opportunity to those individuals that might ordinarily be overlooked. A diverse and representative workforce brings a host of advantages, both in terms of social cohesion and the skill sets that are brought to a project, and we’ve certainly opened many people’s eyes to the opportunities that exist by embracing inclusivity.”