What could I have done differently to save my job?

[lostandconfusedmh]

I was working at one of the Big 4 firms, but I began experiencing significant challenges after I went off my SSRIs, which I'd been on in high doses for years. The withdrawal symptoms were intense, and combined with the stress of my job, they led to me failing all six of my certificate-level exams. I felt too ill to turn up for work and struggled to perform my responsibilities properly.

During this difficult period, I was diagnosed with autism, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. My parents advised me not to disclose my mental health issues to future employers, so I only told my boss about my autism diagnosis and kept the rest to myself. My boss was skeptical and angry, questioning whether my autism alone could explain my struggles.

He even accused me of lying, saying my autism didn’t seem severe enough to cause all the problems I was experiencing. However, he did follow the Disability Discrimination Act 2010 procedure and gave me another chance.

I was then sent to Wakefield client-site to work in a credit control role, which involved making 25 calls a day, writing emails to angry customers, and liaising with a difficult client whose account management department was quite challenging. Unfortunately, this role heavily relied on social and communication skills, which are areas where I struggle due to my autism.

I made several mistakes, like canceling the wrong contracts, deleting files, accidentally CCing internal emails to customers, and even asking the client's CFO if he would renew a contract, which didn’t go over well.

On top of that, my boss was frustrated with me for missing timesheets, taking long PTOs, and working from home.

Eventually, he suggested that I leave the company. I decided it would be better to resign, and he agreed, likely to avoid any potential legal issues for the company.

The employment lawyer I spoke to told me I should have informed occupational health that I had all those anxiety disorders etc., and maybe argued with occupational health to put me off the Wakefield project and somewhere else.

Autistic people are commonly diagnosed with depression and given high doses of medication. Especially women. Having an autism diagnosis doesn’t mean the OP is currently depressed. I’m not using emojis because I’m over the age of 14.

You weren’t fired for having disabilities. They didn’t know you had any apart from autism. And to be fair, you would be far from the only person in a Big 4 to be autistic.

You were sacked for failing your exams and making some pretty serious mistakes. Jeopardising client relationships with careless errors is pretty much a cardinal sin.

I genuinely don't understand your posts. But you seem determined to start a dialogue with me? Why?

I’m happy not to engage in any further conversation.

That makes two of us, @AngelusBell ! Fun though it's been...

100%.

As someone who has been diagnosed with various things myself, it drives me nuts when other people use them as excuses like this.

OP, I also remember you from before. I am sad to see you are still fixating on this- because that’s what this is. A fixation.

Kindly, I don’t believe a big injustice has been done to you. You did not disclose all your conditions to your employer, you took lots of time off and you made several significant mistakes. They had grounds to let you go and it sounds like they let you resign rather than firing you to try and be kind.

Have you got any charities in your area who provide job coaches? I would suggest getting in touch with them and asking for help to move forwards.

There is no way you would win your case at an employment tribunal. Even with a disability you still need to be able to do your job. You couldn’t do the job

If you can't do the job you can't do the job people can only be reasonable for so long but it doesn't help to lie to people then be surprised you get found out

No Autism doesn't 'magic itself' out of nowhere, but if you knew more than a tiny bit about Autism you'd also know that some Autistic people can mask for a long time, until they burn out, like it's possible OP did. So you can previously have coped without adjustments and now need them.

I know plenty about autism.
Also know if you quit taking your medication suddenly there's likely to be side effects.

Having a disability doesn’t mean you can not perform in your job and automatically keep it

This. I imagine a condition of maintaining work was passing professional exams also?

Look for something more suitable in a different line of work. Not teaching though as that is full of the stuff you struggle with.

Then why did you say what you did? Autism isn't a static condition and can effect people differently at different times, so Autism alone can mean you need different adjustments over time. I'm sure suddenly comming off medications wasn't helpful to this situation but what you wrote about Autism isn't correct so your employer making adjustments to your role on that basis wasn't really necessary. Sometimes adjustments needed can change and post diagnosis you can get access to adjustments you previously couldnt qualify for, even if OP was coping before diagnosis that doesn't mean she didn't need adjustments so that she could do more then just cope and get burnt ou.t

I don't know whether you have certain expectations OP based on your educational qualifications and the kinds of jobs you can get or whether you feel others have certain expectations of you? What is clear is that while you can get the jobs, they are not the right jobs for you. You don't have to get a graduate programme-type job to be "successful". In fact I'd say you need to stay away from them as they are not a good fit for you.

You need to access some guidance to work out what to do, but you need to get yourself on an even keel mentally first. Do you live with your parents or can you move back there temporarily if you've been living independently? I'm thinking about your living costs if you don't have a job.

I'm surprised they kept you on after failing the exams. At the firm where I did my qualification they even fired the managing partners son because he failed...

Op failed all six of the exams.
No adjustments are going to allow for this.

Big 4 are often brutal macho workplaces (I've worked in two). Not everyone is suited to them. It's an absolute lottery whether you find a decent network and often you can be fighting with your colleagues/peers like cats in sack for good/interesting assignments. If you don't thrive on this, it won't be enjoyable. And there are plenty of others willing to take your place.

Honestly, the best thing is to leave it in the past. It's a hit to the ego but other workplaces are much nicer and supportive. I think your parents might be quite out of touch with the modern workplace and you need to forge your own path. I'd drop the employment solicitor and just confirm you can get a factual reference for your time there to confirm dates you worked there and job title.

Autism isn't a bar to a successful and fulfilling career. It just needs planning.

Equally failure, and getting back up after failure, is part of life. If you've completed school and uni quite successfully this can be a bit of a shock. Opportunities aren't fair and even if you play by the rules sometimes it doesn't work out. That's why it's helpful to invest in a happy life outside work

That's why it's helpful to invest in a happy life outside work

I agree.

I feel that ricocheting into a pretty brutal training path for a career where tens of thousands of people are leaving each year because of the workload/stress/lack of time to cal their own in the evening/weekends during term-time, is not going to allow to this. OP on the other thread seems to be disputing that teaching can be at all stressful.

Absolutely this. OP you are obviously bright and clever and have done well in previous exams as otherwise you wouldn't have been accepted initially into the company but that corporate world doesn't suit you and you kindly need to move on. You have your whole life ahead of you.

OP do not go into teaching, whilst clearly intelligent you simply are not mentally resilient enough for the job. Imparting knowledge on the next generation is a tiny part of the role, classroom management and all that entails, high work load, no factor in wellbeing, it simply is not the role for you.

I would be looking for a civil service type role, perhaps in Policy in the DfE if that interests you. But teaching will eat you up and spit you back out.

How horrible for you OP but you are better off out of there.

I worked for a Big4 and I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease (a condition that causes overactive thyroid) and I needed to disclose it because I had to attend some hospital appointments (never affected my ability to work and I made up the time). I was managed out within 6 months. Life made hell.

I am convinced I would be very unwell or dead if I had stayed. In a job I live now earning 4 times more money.

Being as you thought teaching as an easy option - to the extent people thought you were trolling - your lack of understanding your inability to do things is going to cause you problems.

Until you are more stable a lot of jobs will not be suitable for you. Honestly I’d looked at claiming benefits and volunteering to try and gain some life experience and gain understanding of different workplaces.

Failing that - the civil service jobs can be good for people that need adjustments (and apparently it’s very difficult to get sacked from there).

Some of those may be suited to you.

What about volunteering in a school for a term? Or working as a TA?

Are you still planning to start the Teach First course you have been accepted on next month, @lostandconfusedmh ?

Teach First isn't a course. It's a job. They will be employed to teach from day 1 in September on a pretty much full time teaching timetable. Then there's uni work and learning sessions on top of all that. A disaster waiting to happen for this OP.