On 20 March 2025, Acas launched a new campaign aimed at enhancing understanding and support for neurodivergent employees. The initiative provides employers with practical resources and guidance to help build inclusive workplaces.
The campaign focuses on actionable steps employers can take to create more accessible work environments, including making recruitment a more inclusive exercise by accommodating different cognitive styles. Employers can also offer flexible working arrangements and assistive technologies for neurodivergent workers and promote awareness and understanding of neurodivergence among staff to reduce stigma.
In addition to this, the Department for Work and Pensions has established a new expert panel on neurodiversity and employment. Running until summer 2025, the panel will review employment outcomes for neurodivergent individuals and provide evidence-based recommendations to shape workplace policy and practices. It will examine all forms of neurodivergence and consider:
- Barriers to employment and career progression
- Effective employer strategies for fostering inclusion
- Government policies that could support systemic improvements
- Economic benefits of a neurodiverse workforce
- The impact of intersectional factors such as social deprivation, gender, and ethnicity
According to Acas, employers should prepare for increased accountability in aligning recruitment and workplace practices with neurodiversity principles.
