Building a Fair Work Framework for employers of Scotland’s autistic workforce

Introduction

Thanks for clicking on the link bringing you to this survey, a survey aimed at collecting data to help understand the experiences of autistic people in Scottish workplaces. The unique aim of the survey is to map your experiences against Scotland’s Fair Work Framework, producing a blueprint for better employment and management of Scotland’s autistic workforce. This survey is part of a research project funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Inspiring Scotland. The project is developed and designed in partnership between Cornerstone and the Centre for Employment, Work and the Professions (CREWS) at Heriot-Watt University. Key findings from the project will be disseminated through a range of presentations and publications. If you wish to remain informed about these presentations and publications, you can register contact details at the end of the survey.

Do I have to take part?

Participation is open to any adult currently employed in Scotland who is diagnosed, seeking a diagnosis, or self-identifies as autistic. Given the importance of making Scottish workplaces more autism-appropriate, participation is strongly encouraged, but it is entirely up to you whether to take part. If you do decide to take part, please select “Agree” at the bottom of the page.

What will my involvement be?

We estimate the core aspects of the survey should take 8-10 minutes of your time. There are six sections to the survey, with five related to the Fair Work Framework, plus one designed to understand more about your employment and you as an individual. The wider research will involve interviews and focus groups. If you would like to be invited to this stage of the research, you can register your contact details at the end of the survey.

What will the information I provide be used for?

By completing the survey, we will be able to gather important information from the people most likely to benefit from such an initiative, i.e., autistic employees. The information gathered from this survey and the wider research will be used to provide recommendations to Scotland-based employers based on good practice for employing autistic people.

Will my taking part and data be kept confidential? Will it be anonymised?

The broad aim of the survey is to build an aggregated quantitative dataset which by nature does not purposefully identify individuals. However, if we do collect more personalised data (e.g., through optional open comments), we will anonymise such data before it is analysed or presented in any public-facing format. The raw data will be stored in Heriot-Watt University’s IT storage systems. The dataset will only be shared with research partners when all data has been fully anonymised.

What protections are in place regarding research ethics and data protection?

The research project has been approved by the School of Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee, a process involving a risk assessment related to the gathering of personal data. If you would like to know more about such processes at Heriot-Watt University, you can click on the research ethics policy here and data protection policy here. The legal basis used to process your personal data will be Legitimate interests.

Would it be possible to access the survey or see what the questions are in advance?

Yes, this is possible. We can send you a Word document which you can complete and return to us directly if this suits you. You can also request the Word document in difference fonts, sizes, colours, etc. Please contact Emma (see details below) regarding such requests.

What if I have a question or concern about the research?

If you have any questions or concerns at anytime about taking part in this survey, or the research more generally, please contact Research and Corporate Engagement Officer, Emma Wood: Emma.Wood@Cornerstone.org.uk