‘Masking’ at work: How neurodivergent Canadians are burning out to fit in

Corporate wellness strategist Vaishali Joshi discusses how a lack of workplace accommodations may be pushing neurodivergent employees towards burnout.

More Canadians are identifying as neurodivergent – meaning people whose brains function differently due to conditions like ADHD, autism or dyslexia – but many workplaces are still designed to accommodate one kind of mind.

According to EY Canada, as much as 15 per cent of the global population, including 600,000 Canadians, identify as neurodivergent, but as up to 86 per cent of certain groups are unemployed or underemployed.

Corporate wellness strategist Vaishali Joshi says the mismatch is quietly pushing employees toward burnout.

“You may appear in the workplace as overwhelmed,” Joshi said during an interview on CTV’s Your Morning on Wednesday. “And overwhelmed often looks like being silent in meeting rooms, or smiling and looking as if you understand everything going on, even though your brain is wandering.”

Behind the calm exterior, Joshi said, many neurodivergent workers are struggling to keep up by overcompensating.

“You’ll often find that they’re pulling long hours to do certain tasks that you and I might do differently,” she said. “That leads to burnout.”

Masking, Joshi noted, is one of the most common and harmful coping mechanisms. It involves suppressing natural behaviours and mimicking neurotypical patterns to avoid judgment or scrutiny.

Joshi said masking can come in two forms. One is “nodding, smiling, saying, everything’s fine, because they don’t want to alarm anybody,” Joshi said.

The other involves behaving in ways that don’t come naturally. Joshi gave an example of cleaning up desk space and making sure that it looks just like everybody else’s in order for people to perceive you as they are.

“It’s exhausting and that’s where a lot of our mental health suffers, so you’ll start to see anxiety, which then leads to depression, which they may mask again. It’s a cycle,” she explained.

Joshi emphasized that employers can make a significant difference by focusing on two key areas: communication and flexibility.

Rather than expecting all employees to process information the same way, managers can ask how team members prefer to receive meeting notes or instructions, Joshi said.

“There’s things like, ‘What schedule works for you? Do you prefer to be remote or in-person? Are you better in the mornings or in the afternoons?’” she said.

Joshi believes building neuro-inclusive workplaces begins with empathy and open communication.

“It’s not just about being neurodivergent. We’re all different – five generations in the workforce, menopause, learning styles – so it’s a good time to talk," she said.

She encourages workers to advocate for themselves while employers make room for those differences.