Ep32. Leadership and Building Safe Workplaces for Neurodivergent Folks with Annie Crowe

CONTENT NOTE: This episode covers workplace discrimination, burnout, chronic illness, eating disorders, weight stigma and a brief mention of past trauma. There’s also some swearing. Look after yourself while you listen. This is general information, not legal or psychological advice.

We started this one with a dance party, and honestly that set the tone.

Annie Crowe is Autistic and ADHD and was diagnosed at 28, after a decade in corporate law and the public service. She founded Eating Disorders Neurodiversity Australia (EDNA), hosted her own podcast, and now works with organisations that are ready to go deeper than “intro to neurodiversity.” Most importantly, she’s the human to Moose, a standard poodle who made a guest appearance.

We get into the invisible expectations that make workplaces so hard for us, like Friday drinks where skipping makes you “not a team player.” Annie talks about return-to-work processes meant to protect people that end up doing harm, and about her own experience of one that went badly. She also explains why she believes almost none of these barriers are our fault, even though so many of us blame ourselves.

Then we tackle the big question: to disclose or not to disclose?

In this episode:

• Neuronormativity and the unwritten rules of work
• Why reasonable adjustments and return to work plans so often go wrong
• Annie’s number one tip: document everything (spoken like a true lawyer)
• Testing the waters by sharing your preferences before you disclose
• The “vulnerability tax” of disclosing at work
• Why it’s okay to leave a job when you can’t keep fighting it
• “Default to yes”: what good leadership looks like
• Neuroneutrality, and why “superpower” and “I’m so sorry” can both miss the mark
• Self-employment is a privilege, and why workplace reform matters

Stay to the end for Annie’s takeaway. It’s the one I wish every neurodivergent worker could hear.

Plus our “this or that” round, where Annie’s PDA flatly refuses to choose. Millions of tabs or one at a time? You already know.

Find Annie

Instagram: @_anniecrowe (where she’s most herself, plus Moose)

LinkedIn (the corporate side).

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Workbooks & Resources

Recovering Good Girls Workbook

Play Their Way Workbook

Remember - It’s not you. You’re not alone.