Finding a job that fits your life can be tricky, but luckily there's lots of help available!
Whether you know exactly what you want or are still exploring options, resources exist to support your job search and help you maintain your current employment. Work schedules can be flexible—casual, part-time, full-time, flexible hours, flexible start times, even self-employed—there are many possibilities!
There are options to help you reach your work goals. Remember, using local resources and community organisations can make your job search easier and you don’t have to do it all yourself.
If a full-time work week (usually 40-hours) feels like way too much, your doctor might be able to provide a medical certificate supporting part-time work for you, and this may also help you to get some financial assistance. This is a great first step to explore your options and find what works best for you.
Work and Income NZ
Work and Income offer an employment service for people with a disability or health condition (including FASD) and depending on various factors, you may also be able to access financial support during your first year of employment, and as needed while you're in employment.
Work and Income have contracted experienced employment service providers who specialise in helping people into work who have a disability, health condition, mental health condition, or are neurodiverse. They can help to prepare you for work, hopefully find an ongoing job, and support you while you're in work.
NOTE: you don’t need to be receiving a benefit to access this service!
Click here to find a Work and Income Centre near you.
If you are receiving a benefit from Work and Income…
You should have access to a Case Manager who can support you to get ready for work and help you find a job. There are a few special programmes you may be able to access.
If you have a disability or health condition (including a mental health condition or neurodiversity such as FASD), and you want to work, you can apply to join one of Work and Income 'Mainstream' programmes.
Click here for Mainstream Programmes - Work and Income
Income Support from Work and Income
You may be eligible for Income Support through various Work and Income payments while you’re looking for work:
• Jobseeker Support - Work and Income
This provides financial help via a weekly payment that helps people while they are looking for work or can’t work right now.
• Supported Living Payment - Work and Income
This provides financial help via a weekly payment to help you if you have a significant health condition, injury or disability, (which can include FASD).
• Getting Ready to Work - Work and Income
Getting ready to work can sometimes involve costs. For example, training, workplace costs, travel and clothing costs. Work and Income may be able to help with these costs depending on your situation.
Other Employment Services
There are quite a few other non-government employment service providers all around Aotearoa NZ who can help support you with:
- career planning
- preparation for employment, e.g. help with writing a CV, interview technique
- job searching and matching
- employment placement
- negotiations of any flexible working arrangements
- talking with your employer about how they can best support you.
- Once you're in work, they can provide ongoing support to you and, if needed, your employer, for up to one year.
Disability Support Services has a range of services for people looking for a job, for people who support differently-abled people to find a job, and for employers to help their workplace be more welcoming for those with disabilities or neurodisabilities.
Click here to find out more: Employment Support | Disability Support Services
There are more below (in alphabetical order) or contact your Disability Information Centres for local options that may also be available.
Abilities Group (Auckland)
We employ people with disabilities.
Āhei Program | NorthAble Matapuna Hauora (Whangārei)
Āhei is the employment arm of NorthAble disability services. They provide young people with internship (work experience)opportunities across industries and sectors. They also support organisations developing inclusive workforce practices and support interns in work placements with their partner organisations. The programme is open to anyone aged 16-24, who has a disability, seeking to gain work experience.
Brackenridge (Canterbury)
Brackenridge supports people with learning disabilities and autism to create and lead lives where they are included as valued members in our community.
Career Moves (Waikato)
This is a dedicated, stand-alone, supported employment service for any disability – also supports people with long-term injuries, such as brain and spinal injuries.
Catapult Employment Services (Canterbury)
An employment service for both employers and jobseekers which has been helping Cantabrians into employment for over 10 years. We have employment consultants and offer counselling around anxieties with employment.
Community Care Trust (Otago)
Support people with intellectual disabilities and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder to live in their community.
Community Living Trust (Waikato)
Supporting people into meaningful work or to gain the skills to enable them to get a job.
CreativeWorks Employment Service (Christchurch & Wellington)
Providing support to people with experience of a mental illness or disability to find employment and then support them to maintain this for at least six months.
Disability Resource Centre (Hawkes Bay)
Promoting and providing occupational, social and personal opportunities and facilities for people with disabilities.
Enrich+ (Te Awamutu)
Supporting individuals to have a ‘life like any other’. Through education, employment and empowerment, they help each person to be a real part of their communities.
Geneva Elevator (Whangarei, North Shore, South Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth)
A specialist consultancy service offering a wide range of employment, training and support options to clients with diverse needs.
Horowhenua Learning Centre (HVLC)
A NZQA accredited Private Training Establishment in Levin, Palmerston North and Kapiti. They deliver teaching programmes with an emphasis on literacy and numeracy support.
IDEA Services (National)
IDEA Services provides residential, vocational, behaviour support, supported employment, supported living and more to people with intellectual disabilities throughout New Zealand.
Imagine Better (National)
Provide a range of support, workshops, training and resources directly to families of disabled people.
Mahi Tika (Waikato region)
A disabled-led employment programme designed to enhance the employment journey of disabled people in the Waikato region to be working or training in the industry of their choice while improving equity in the employment of disabled people.
Manaaki Ability Trust (Hutt Valley)
We provide services that include transition from school, vocational support, community participation and centre-based and facilitated programmes.
Tautoko Options (Manawatu)
This is a supported living agency, based in Palmerston North, which is committed to delivering services and support in a manner that fits each person’s needs and aspirations.
Matea Trust (Auckland)
On a rural block in Dairy Flat, just north of Albany, Matea Trust provides employment opportunities for men with intellectual disabilities in their firewood business. We also offer work experience opportunities to students preparing to leave school and enter the workforce.
Polyemp Employment and Advisory Service (Auckland)
Connecting employers who want to engage a more diverse and inclusive workforce with young disabled job seekers.
Recycle South (Southland)
Our overriding objective is to increase the participation of people with disabilities in employment and in their community by turning farm waste plastics into a resin plastic product for export.
Employable (Nelson)
Employable is a specialist Supported Employment Agency that has served the Nelson economy well for over twenty-five years servicing over 1500 people. Our professional employment service provides free ongoing support.
Work Opportunities (Dunedin)
We are a Supported Employment service provider in Dunedin.
Tupu Aotearoa
This agency supports Pacific people to gain tools and skills that enable them to thrive.
They connect Pacific people with local providers who will support you to access work or learning opportunities on your journey to employment, further training or study.
Your rights and responsibilities at work
There’s lots of great information on the Employment NZ website, but you may need your support person to take you through it.
Click here to go to: Employee rights and responsibilities | Employment New Zealand
It covers important topics around your rights and responsibilities at work such as:
- Knowing your minimum employment rights and responsibilities – how the law protects you
- Your rights – employment agreements or contracts
- Payment – types of pay, deductions (tax etc)
- Breaks - hours of work, rest and breaks
- Holidays and Leave
- Managing health and safety
And lots more!
Got a problem?
If something is not right at your job and you think you may need legal advice, Community Law Centres are a good place to start, also see our Legal Assistance and Advocacy section.
Help for Employers
Employers globally are becoming more aware that neurodiversity in the workplace is great for their business, because having people whose brains work differently can sometimes be very helpful!
Below are some resources on how employers can support people with neurodisability in the workplace. You could let them know about these programmes if they’d like to give you a job but need a bit of help.
First up, you can click here to downloadable FASD-CAN’s own pānui / flyer for employers.
Next, you can pass on some, or all, of these links they can read:
Work and Income have two programmes to help employers who want to give people a job. The Flexi-Wage and Mana in Mahi programmes match employers with people who are keen to start a career and need extra support to begin and maintain their work and training journey.