Despite increasing awareness of the importance of inclusivity and psychosocial safety, neurodivergent employees in many workplaces still suffer systemic challenges that impact their well-being, career progression and ability to contribute to their organisation.
Recognising the need for change in the Australian Public Service (APS), in 2022 Andrew Pfeiffer PSM and Robin Edmonds PSM responded to this critical gap in workforce inclusivity within by founding the Public Sector Neurodiversity Community of Practice (CoP), a diverse network of over 400 individuals from more than 80 agencies.
The CoP now stands as a voice for systemic change across the APS to improve support for neurodiverse staff, and as a safe, peer-led community for neurodivergent people to connect, share experiences, and feel seen, valued, and supported in their careers.
A new case in ANZSOG’s John L. Alford Case Library study explores the CoP’s first two years of operation, highlighting its role in fostering inter-agency collaboration, peer support, and shared learning. It also outlines the community’s achievements in raising awareness, building capability, and advocating for inclusive practices across the public sector.
Written by ANZSOG’s Dr Julia Richardson, the study offers practical recommendations for creating neurodiversity-safe workplaces that value diversity, promote equity, and unlock the full potential of all employees. The Neurodiversity CoP stands as a model for how Communities of Practice can drive meaningful cultural change and support a more inclusive future for the APS.
In Australia, employers, including in the public sector, have a responsibility to provide a safe work environment for their employees. The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) defines disability broadly, encompassing neurodiversity, and prohibits discrimination on the grounds of disability, including in access to employment.
The DDA further requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the needs of individuals with a disability. The Fair Work Act 2009 also includes provisions against discrimination. In this context, the legal and policy framework can be invoked to protect neurodivergent employees from discrimination.
These regulatory measures serve to operationalise and embed principles of psychosocial safety within organisational practices to mitigate workplace stressors and promote employee well-being. Effective implementation of these policies not only enhances organisational compliance but also cultivates working environments that are safe and conducive to productivity and innovation.
The 2024 APS employee census found that 8.8% of APS employees identified as neurodivergent, which may be an undercount due to the self-reported nature of the survey.
Those at the APS who identified as neurodivergent tended to be younger, work at lower classification levels, and were often employed in policy, data/research, ICT, or communications/marketing roles. They also reported lower satisfaction with workplace support, respect, and inclusion, as well as higher perceptions of discrimination and bullying
The CoP has enabled various agencies, departments and networks to share the effort of leading in this space, creating momentum for visible and sustainable change so that this advocacy work is not reliant on individuals, reducing the self-advocacy burden on neurodiverse staff.
The CoP have identified some critical frameworks that agencies can build on to create a more inclusive environment not just for neurodivergent employees, but for all their employees.
- Accessibility should be integrated into every aspect of the workplace, ensuring that everyone has what they need to fully participate at work. This includes digital accessibility and designing inclusive physical spaces, providing flexible work options, and ensuring that digital tools are user-friendly for people with disabilities. By making accessibility the default, rather than an accommodation, barriers are removed, empowering all employees to succeed and self-advocate.
- Agencies should foster psychological and psychosocial safety in the workplace by developing a culture that values neurodiversity, strengthens manager capability to support diverse teams, and embeds organisation-wide understanding to remove systemic barriers, enabling all staff to feel safe, respected and set up for long term success.
- Agencies should support their employees throughout the employment lifecycle, with greater attention to retention strategies and career progression alongside practical supports to enable the development of emerging leaders. Organisations should better support staff and managers to understand neurodiversity and strategies for reducing bias at all stages of employment. Ongoing support is essential to setting neurodivergent employees up for long-term success and to empower them to thrive in the workplace.
The Case finds that the CoP has made considerable progress in uniting a diverse range of employees and driving towards a more inclusive public sector. However, there is a great distance yet to travel as many neurodivergent employees remain in vulnerable positions, experiencing burnout, exclusion, and job insecurity.
You can read the full case here
ANZSOG’s John L. Alford Case Library was set up in 2004 by Foundation Professor John L. Alford to address a lack of locally relevant public sector cases. Now featuring more than 200 case studies, the internationally recognised library covers