Many workplace cultures reward conformity without recognizing the toll it takes on employees who feel pressure to hide parts of themselves just to fit in. But when workplaces are designed for accessibility, flexibility, and authenticity, people are better able to thrive, and organizations are stronger for it.
When workplace environments are not designed with different communication styles, sensory needs, and ways of working in mind, many employees feel pressure to suppress parts of themselves just to be seen as professional, capable, or “easy to work with.”
For many disabled and neurodivergent people, this experience is known as masking: the act of hiding or minimizing traits, needs, behaviors, or identities in order to fit into workplace expectations that were not built with disability inclusion in mind. (Neurodivergence is an umbrella term that encompasses autism and ADHD)
Masking can look like forcing eye contact, avoiding accommodations, suppressing stimming, staying silent about access supports, or constantly monitoring how one speaks, moves, or interacts with others. Over time, this ongoing self-monitoring can contribute to stress, burnout, anxiety, and disconnection at work. Denise Conroy, Relay Resources' chief of staff, explores this dynamic further in her blog, “Leadership Without Masking,” reflecting on how these pressures can continue into leadership roles and shape how disabled professionals navigate workplace culture.
The issue is not that disabled or neurodivergent employees are failing to adapt. It’s that many workplace cultures still reward conformity over accessibility, flexibility, and psychological safety.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, as organizations like Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness invite people to speak out about mental health to reduce the stigma around mental illness, we’re taking a closer look at masking, the emotional toll it takes, and how to reduce this practice.
There are believed to be as many as 1.2 billion neurodivergent people in the world, which would mean that every workplace likely has at least one neurodivergent employee.
Research shows that 63% of neurodivergent employees say that they have masked at work, which is reflected in different research showing that only one in 10 employees with disabilities discloses their status to an employer.
In this article written by an autistic person, they describe masking as “a neutral state. It isn’t bad or good, it’s a coping mechanism and in this way, for many, it is utterly unconscious. Sometimes it feels like a friend, sometimes it’s a nagger and sometimes it chips away at one’s self-esteem.”
The extra energy expelled for neurodivergent workers to mask at work affects their mental health and takes a physical toll, and often they choose to tolerate it for only so long. According to a 2016 study, “qualitative and conceptual research has linked engaging in camouflaging over extended periods of time with autistic burnout.”
The responsibility should not fall on disabled employees to hide or suppress parts of themselves in order to succeed at work. Employers play a major role in reducing masking by creating workplace culture and environments where people feel supported, valued, and able to communicate their needs without fear of stigma or professional consequences.
As Relay Resources has long advocated, workplaces can take steps to include disabled people in the workplace, including:
Pictured is one of Relay Resources' many sensory rooms that includes ambient low lighting, a white noise machine, and more.
The Business Impact of Inclusive Workplaces
Research continues to reinforce that disability inclusion is not only a workplace culture issue, but a business one. Their research found that companies leading in disability inclusion generated 1.6 times more revenue, 2.6 times more net income, and two times more economic profit than their peers. Creating workplaces where people do not feel pressured to mask requires more than awareness. It requires organizations to rethink the systems, expectations, and cultures they’ve built over time.
Workplace cultures that prioritize accessibility, flexibility, and psychological safety do not just benefit disabled employees, they strengthen organizations overall. According to WebMD, employees who feel cared for are 56% more engaged at work and 34% more likely to stay with their employer.
This Mental Health Awareness Month and beyond, we can work to eliminate barriers for neurodiverse people at work, allowing neurodivergent employees to be their authentic selves and contribute to a healthy workplace culture. Because all disabled people belong. Everywhere.
If your organization is ready to move beyond compliance and build a workplace culture rooted in accessibility, belonging, and disability inclusion, Relay Resources is here to help. Contact MarComm@Relayresources.org to get started.