FACTS — Masking at Work
“Some neurodivergent employees mask their traits at work.”
Masking can involve consciously or unconsciously monitoring behaviour, suppressing natural responses, copying others or adopting behaviours that feel more socially acceptable within the workplace.
Someone who is masking may appear to be coping extremely well, while internally using a significant amount of energy to manage the working day.
Masking might look like:
- Forcing or carefully monitoring eye contact
- Rehearsing conversations before speaking
- Copying colleagues' tone, expressions or body language
- Suppressing stimming or repetitive movements
- Hiding sensory discomfort
- Pretending to understand unclear instructions
- Avoiding asking for clarification or support
- Forcing themselves to socialise during breaks
- Constantly monitoring whether they are behaving “correctly”
- Staying quiet when overwhelmed
- Hiding difficulties with organisation, memory or concentration
- Working additional hours to compensate for difficulties others don't see
Masking can make support needs harder to recognise
An employee may appear confident, organised, sociable and capable while experiencing considerable stress underneath.
This can sometimes lead managers or colleagues to think:
“They seem fine.”
But appearing to cope and actually coping are not always the same thing.
Maintaining a mask for long periods can be exhausting and may contribute to stress, fatigue, anxiety, reduced wellbeing and burnout.
A safer workplace can reduce the pressure to mask
Inclusive workplaces allow people to communicate, regulate and work in different ways without automatically interpreting difference as unprofessional.
This might mean allowing movement, quiet breaks, headphones, different communication styles, reduced pressure around eye contact, written communication or time away from socially demanding environments.
Managers can also create opportunities for employees to discuss adjustments without having to reach crisis point first.
The goal shouldn't be to teach neurodivergent employees to look less neurodivergent. It should be to create workplaces where people don't have to hide who they are in order to belong.
Space to Breathe Therapy
