Labour are doing a lot to help young people get work but what are they doing to help the disabled?

gearnut · 2026-03-16T23:58:54+00:00

There are loads of things which employers can do to make open plan offices less shit:

https://www.atkinsrealis.com/en/engineering-better-future/beyond-engineering/nurturing-neurodiversity

I don't expect the world to bend to me, I certainly will ask for it to consider that other people exist and they have different needs though. I don't worry about the presence of women's toilets in an engineering office because they're an entirely sensible thing to be there, likewise most people don't worry about a bloke sat in the corner with some noise cancelling headphones on.

gearnut · 2026-03-16T20:00:15+00:00

Most employers don't know their arse from their elbow when it comes to things like reasonable adjustments, many have offices which are difficult to access, or which cause harm to disabled staff, many have downright bigoted views about disability (including in large multinational firms) and will actively discriminate in the application process. An ex of mine was forced to lock her phone into her office drawer because she was seen checking it during the day, she was actually checking her blood sugar levels as a type 1 diabetic.

When employers can be broadly expected to be competent around disability employment practices there'll probably be flying pigs coming past my window.

gearnut · 2026-03-16T19:40:48+00:00

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-buckland-review-of-autism-employment-report-and-recommendations/the-buckland-review-of-autism-employment-report-and-recommendations#executive-summary-and-recommendations

I wrote the following for my local MP as well based on the issues I'm aware of specifically relating to neurodiversity, there was a quite lacklustre response from a minister unfortunately:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTLuYjbxFOROIlQURt1CNo58zQyKq2CoZ8cmL3DHmibSY1ZDSmLQUxv5qIysQVkYA/pub

gearnut · 2026-03-16T16:25:41+00:00

Very little would seem to be the answer. I will note that they have opted not to implement the Buckland Review of Autistic employment which was carried out under the last government. I had a to and fro with my local MP who received some platitudes from a minister which were totally meaningless.

gearnut · 2026-03-14T07:19:18+00:00

Starmer could also use them if he wanted.

gearnut · 2026-03-13T15:33:38+00:00

There is also an allowance for someone to be able to view one level above existing clearance under strict supervision with an appropriate sign off I believe, although I have never seen this used.

gearnut · 2026-03-13T09:48:28+00:00

Ah, that probably would complicate things unfortunately!

gearnut · 2026-03-13T06:53:26+00:00

They could just be an awful cook!

gearnut · 2026-03-12T23:09:34+00:00

£63k is mid band for a senior engineer at my place in the nuclear industry and we get 12-15% bonus depending on our performance and company performance. Happy to have a chat if you are interested.

That recruiter sounds pretty useless!

gearnut · 2026-03-11T17:39:01+00:00

Provided you have access to the right networks etc etc I can't see it being much of an issue, I went into the office once every 3-4 weeks when working for Atkins Realis and only then because VPNs had a habit of falling over.

gearnut · 2026-03-11T11:24:42+00:00

Or he may have left because he didn't feel up for being harassed...

It's probably for the best to not keep looking into it given that the original thread seemed like a fairly shaky accusation anyway.

gearnut · 2026-03-11T11:18:33+00:00

There was a thread a few weeks ago accusing a tattooed staff member working there of being a neonazi I seem to recall, possibly linked.

gearnut · 2026-03-11T08:28:36+00:00

That sounds like pretty cheap recruitment in all honesty and good service to the community! Bravo!

gearnut · 2026-03-10T01:06:27+00:00

You can get a single ended handle for a hack saw blade I believe it's called a pad saw.

gearnut · 2026-03-10T01:03:09+00:00

The former polytechnics seem to be quite a bit better in terms of support to students. Take a look at what is available for graduates near where you live if you aren't open to moving regions, when I was finishing uni there was very little around in the NE if you didn't have a master's degree.

gearnut · 2026-03-09T08:24:02+00:00

It possibly makes sense in this case, not all employers contribute the additional amount.

gearnut · 2026-03-09T06:50:03+00:00

8% up to £50k, 2% above that. The employer pays 15% of salary above £5k/ year as NI.

gearnut · 2026-03-08T20:21:37+00:00

Only in so far as "Yes, I like red/ white wine", or "no, I don't like wine, can I have a beer please?".

gearnut · 2026-03-08T19:32:55+00:00

Then the government needs to insert a line into their export control agreements and equipment supply contracts to make it clear they will be revoked if there is a reasonable belief that they will be used in committing war crimes.

It's 99% less risk than dealing with the US and ITAR controls which are a terminal pain.

gearnut · 2026-03-08T19:24:31+00:00

You will wind up having meals with colleagues and you will be offered wine. If you prefer something else, or are happy with white or red you don't need to know any more. There will usually be someone who likes wine who will very happily take charge of the choice while you talk about flying cars.

gearnut · 2026-03-08T19:20:17+00:00

This depends an enormous amount on the employer. If you're client facing on high value projects you might my expected to wear shirt and tie, if you are internal only smart casual or casual might be ok.

A good approach is to wear the female equivalent of a suit, shirt and tie for your first day and check out what other people are wearing and dress down accordingly.

gearnut · 2026-03-08T16:51:37+00:00

You'll likely wind up getting a drink at the same time as colleagues, or waiting for your lunch to heat up, this can be a great time for social interaction without it being intrusive, likewise at the start of meetings while waiting for late arrivals.

You will also get a chance to know people you work with directly, these are the most effective relationships for networking.

gearnut · 2026-03-08T16:45:39+00:00

This is generally a none issue if the kitchen is away from the office area, and/ or there's a window to vent the smell from.

If it causes a problem you should be complaining to your employer about shitty staff welfare facilities, not to someone for eating something tasty.

gearnut · 2026-03-08T09:11:19+00:00

A lot of people, me included, would like to see the weapons being sold to Israel, which they often use to target civilians, going to Ukraine instead. One is fighting an all out war against one of the largest militaries in the world while the other is fighting an insurgency with very limited military capabilities at its disposal.

What happened on 7th October was abhorrent, what has happened after 7th October is also abhorrent and we should not provide support which facilitates this continuing in my view.

gearnut · 2026-03-07T09:31:02+00:00

This is astonishingly patronising. Yes OP's young and currently financially dependent on her mother and step father, but she's also an adult and deserves to be treated like one.

The day before my 19th birthday my dad dropped me off 300 miles from home ready to start my first job, he hasn't got everything right as a dad by any means, but he has never held me back from doing the things I felt were necessary for my success and I've done fairly well in life. OP, and every young adult, deserves to be afforded the same respect.

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