Lud

Lud has ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine. He is autistic and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Lud is in his early 50s. He was diagnosed with AS about 15 years ago, soon after he started work in the call centre of a large company. His employers were not sympathetic when he asked for time off to attend specialist appointments and for modifications to his work environment.

Their response to such requests was a ‘defensive, reactive posture’, Lud said.

‘As soon as I put my hand up, I've been dragged into formal meetings and … issued warnings for things. But it was just me trying to put my hand up and say, “Look, I need some help here.”’

Lud believes his employers could have seen meeting his needs in the workplace as an opportunity.

‘Where we can actually accommodate someone and get it right, and set a really good example – but they don't see it that way.’

Lud’s role at the company eventually became ‘untenable’ and he resigned.

The workplaces he has been in since have also largely failed to understand or accommodate his needs.

At one job, he asked to work fewer hours. His managers said they needed him to work full-time.

‘I said, “Thanks, no more, I can't handle that. It's too – physically too much. It's too tiring, too exhausting on me”. Because one of the big side-effects of ankylosing spondylitis is severe physical and mental fatigue. And when you get to that point where the fatigue kicks in, you have no productivity at all. It just can't happen, it just doesn't work.’

At another, the HR team lost a letter from Lud’s medical specialist so his employers never saw it and didn’t realise he had a disability. His manager found out for the first time when Lud asked for time off for a medical procedure.

‘He basically said to me, “Last time we had someone with ankylosing spondylitis, it was a bit of a disaster. And had we have known, we would have made a different decision.”’

When the employer tried to curtail his contract, Lud complained to the human rights commission. It found in his favour. The company’s occupational therapist drew up a plan for Lud but left her job before it was implemented. Lud left too shortly after.

Lud got his next job with the help of a disability employment service, again working in a call centre for a large company.

‘The moment I got there it was a case of, “Oh, you've got ankylosing spondylitis. What's that? What do we do?” And it was just so vague, their responses were just so vague. I couldn't get specific answers to questions. They would just look at me, shrug their shoulders and say, “I don't know”.’

After several months off to recover from major surgery, Lud received an email from his team manager.

‘He basically threatened my employment.’

Lud complained and there were meetings with HR and the disability employment service.

‘HR came back and said … they had counselled him on this conduct, that it wasn't – not appropriate. And, you know, moving forward it wasn't to happen again kind of thing.’

This was only a temporary fix, however, and over time Lud’s experience in the workplace deteriorated. He was harassed and bullied.

Eventually, Lud resigned.

‘I just didn't feel safe there anymore.’

Lud believes many of the problems he encountered arose because of a lack of training.

‘They just didn't know anything about discrimination, how it works and how it's supposed to be resolved,’ he said. ‘This is supposed to be employment basics 101, is discrimination training, and it's not there.’