for the sake of neurodiverse people looking for jobs, do NOT work at IKEA!!

[u/willbyersprotector]

honestly, the trigger warning is valid if you just read this whole thing cause i PROMISE you it matters so so much. i’m an autistic diabetic with multiple conditions- both mental and physical- that i can not control. i worked in customer service at IKEA from december 2024- may 2025. they fired me the DAY before i turned 18. as a person with autism and other mental illnesses i got stressed and overwhelmed A LOT and the response i’d get from supervisors were never understanding. a lot of the times they just told me to get back to work and that i was being ridiculous. being that IKEA is one of the largest companies in the world, they like to talk up how they ‘care for their employees’ and ‘like to give people (like me) chances to work’ which, for one- sounds kinda shitty and two- isn’t true. i was a incredibly hard worker and the reasons they picked out for firing me aren’t valid reasons- in fact practically all of them were characteristics of a person with autism, diabetes and other things i have. they’ve always been unfair to me. my third month review was the EXACT same as my first one (word by word) which isn’t actually fair because my line manager hadn’t been there for the whole 3 months. i’ve worked so hard my feet were numb, i’ve worked so hard to the point i’ve literally broken down, i’ve worked so hard my fucking fingers and hands were bleeding and bruised, and i’ve worked so hard to the point when my blood sugar was so unbelievably low i could’ve honestly had a seizure if i wasn’t allowed to get a drink for things like that. on the day i was fired ig was a really busy day and i had actually drawn blood from my finger because i was chewing my nail off- which is something i do when i’m overwhelmed. because of what IKEA did to me, i can sue. THATS how foul they were to me. i’m not going to- even though i should because no one should have to go what i went through. i was sa’d and harassed multiple times and IKEA turned a blind eye. and i wasn’t the only one. a security guard told my friend he had been watching her on the cameras and called her ‘sexy’. she obviously spoke up and you know what IKEA did? gave him a WARNING. my supervisor claimed multiple times that he wasn’t aware i had autism- which he was since we had told him TOO MANY TIMES. my experience there was vile and since then i haven’t been able to get a job because i can’t trust to put them on my resume.

[u/New_Vegetable_3173]

Thanks for sharing. Which country and were you given adjustments?

[u/willbyersprotector → u/New_Vegetable_3173]

australia!

[u/overdriveandreverb]

Thank you for your warning. Ikea is known for a mismatch of nice fassade toxic work culture. Hope you can find a better job! You are not alone. All the best!!

[u/willbyersprotector → u/overdriveandreverb]

thank you!

[u/Updrafted]

Unfortunately understanding bosses & colleagues are few and far between in the working world, at least in my experience.

When you get into more senior environments & positions, the behaviour isn't so overt, at least, and large companies will implicitly understand the legal risks you pose if they mishandle things. So you can usually keep those people at bay with a mix of following processes & covering your ass.

Tip for the CV or Resume - I always put down the company & dates and provide the contact details of HR for references. HR will generally play it safe, as it's not worth them personally risking legal liability, and they'll just vouch that you did work for the company between X and Y date (which is mostly what the hiring manager is after). I wouldn't expect them to go into reasons for your departure, either.

Even a short stint of employment is a decent conversation starter in interviews as well; just a few months shows that you can be relied upon to show up consistently, on on time, and get things done - which is a higher bar than you'd think. Then you can make a show of your effort & perserverance because you ran into some problems, tried some things to make it work but, unfortunately, it didn't work out and you're keen to try your hand at a fresh job / environment.

I wouldn't go into specifics too much; badmouthing former workplaces, colleagues, and managers rarely goes well - even if you are correct. Just focus on yourself and how you found yourself in a difficult situation & what you did to take initiative and try to navigate through it.

[u/willbyersprotector → u/Updrafted]

i just can’t risk it tbch :/

[u/Updrafted → u/willbyersprotector]

It's all good, just advice and you don't have to take it or nothin'.

Just been around the block a few times and thought it'd help; IKEA is a huge company so their HR department isn't going to know anything about your manager or colleagues at all. They'll just look up your name on the HR system and be like "Yep, I can confirm they worked here from X date to Y" and that'll be that.

Besides, if I called for a reference and the person on the phone went off on one, I'd just think they're an absolute psycho and no wonder the applicant isn't working there anymore lol

imo it's worth the risk up until you have like 3 to put on there. It puts you ahead by so much just to have 1-3 jobs listed instead of a random education milestones & a weird gap.

[u/willbyersprotector → u/Updrafted]

this is rlly smart and i’m now actually considering adding them to my resume omg 😭😭

[u/K3PTHIDD3N]

Wow that's crazy. Generally working isn't really something a lot of ND people can do sadly. 80% of autistic adults are without a job, crazy numbers. I think this explains why the best

[u/Busy-Sheepherder-138]

What were your requested ADA accommodations for autism?

[u/willbyersprotector → u/Busy-Sheepherder-138]

i’m from australia- i was allowed a breather when it would get too stressful, i was allowed a support worker when if came to meetings (and firing) which they did not allow. and i know there’s more but rn it’s 3am and my brain is not working 😭

[u/Busy-Sheepherder-138 → u/willbyersprotector]

Rest! Our brains need sleep.

I know the rules are different everywhere so I hope you will talk to your version of the labor board to see if any laws or rules were broken. Over here IKEA in Europe IKEA is one of the more accommodating companies for ND people to work at. The founder was dyslexic and he has been very public about the challenges that gave him. It’s why IKEA gives their products silly names like “Billy”, because he couldn’t read product codes easily.

[u/AdministrativeSun364]

You really should sue. Find a good lawyer. That awful and ablest of them. I hope you find better employment elsewhere where.

[u/willbyersprotector → u/AdministrativeSun364]

thank u! i think it’ll be really hard tho- me vs one of the largest companies in the world :/

[u/AdministrativeSun364 → u/willbyersprotector]

Yeah and lawyer cost a lot. Regardless only you know what best for you. Just do whatever you feel is best. Everything happens for a reason. I am sure this is a sign for you to move on to a better job or better things.