The Unwritten Rules of Work: Social Class and Neurodivergent Identities

by Anna Kallschmidt

Ever feel like everyone got the workplace playbook but you?



You’ve worked hard, maybe gone to college or climbed the corporate ladder—and yet, you still feel like an outsider. You watch seemingly underperforming colleagues get promotions while you struggle to understand why your hard work is overlooked. Meanwhile, leaders wonder why some employees “don’t get it” or seem “unprofessional.”



The truth? There is a playbook. But it’s never written down—and the rules change as you rise.



Dr. Anna Kallschmidt, a pioneering researcher in workplace social class dynamics, provides the evidence of what many have the unwritten rules of professional success aren’t just about merit. They’re shaped by social class background —an invisible framework that determines who advances and who’s left behind. Worse still, the rules shift as you move up the ladder, demanding new behaviors no one teaches.



If you’ve ever

• Why your ideas get overlooked while others get credit

• How others network with ease while you feel awkward

• Why “corporate speak” seems so vague and meaningless



Or if you’re a leader

• “Why won’t they speak up?”

• “Why do they avoid conflict?”

• “Why don’t they take initiative?”



This book is your answer.



Each chapter unpacks specific class-based rules and how they intersect with race, gender, and neurodivergence—because identity isn’t singular, and workplace dynamics aren’t one-size-fits-all. From intro to conclusion, she answers the ongoing debate on how we to have fair and thriving workplaces without preferencing one group.



Unlike most leadership books, Dr. Kallschmidt speaks to multiple employees navigating opaque norms; leaders seeking equity through understanding; and HR grasping for systems that get results and minimize confusion.



This isn’t just another workplace book of one person’s experience. It’s the missing manual that finally takes an evidence-based approach to understanding background, behavior, and professional success. Each chapter shares the stories of real people and organizations, and how the unwritten rules impact people and their workplaces



You’re not imagining it. It’s real. And it doesn’t have to be this way.

413 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 18, 2025

Reviews

[Yuliya Betkher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely write reviews, but The Unwritten Rules of Work by Dr. Anna Kallschmidt deserves ten stars, not five. This book doesn’t just talk about workplace dynamics - it reveals them with evidence, clarity, and real-world relevance. If you’ve ever felt overlooked despite your talent or wondered why others seem to “just get it” while you’re still trying to decode the culture, this book is your answer.

I grew up lower middle class and achieved social mobility into a white-collar environment through education and hard work. When I was younger, like many other people with my background, I used to assume that doing what is expected, improving my technical knowledge, and delivering tangible results would be enough for career progression, and that being a culture fit is secondary and a distraction from my real job. This book explains - with evidence - why that assumption often fails.

Unlike many other books on business etiquette that stay high-level or preach positive thinking, this one is evidence-based and actionable. It’s the missing manual for anyone who’s ever felt like there’s a hidden playbook they weren’t given - and want to finally understand the rules so they can succeed on their own terms.

Highly recommended for anyone who has ever felt competent but perpetually “off” at work - and for leaders who want to understand why that happens and how to support their socially awkward top performers.

[Mariana Ortega · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first discovered Dr. Kallschmidt on TikTok in 2024, it felt like I'd accidentally stumbled upon a Rosetta Stone of knowledge I'd been searching for most of my adult life. As a first-gen professional - first in my working class family to graduate with a college degree and enter a white collar career - I carried a nagging awareness that there was some kind of invisible structure, a web of unspoken expectations, that I found exhaustingly and persistently difficult to decode. Dr. Kallschmidt's research provided the insight - and more importantly, the language! - to finally understand, identify and "name" the implied guardrails and benchmarks we first gens are forever being judged against. The social class divide and power differentials are very real, and Dr. Kallschmidt breaks them down with her impeccable research and "no BS" delivery. I highly recommend this book to anyone raised in a working class background as must-read, practical prep for navigating your professional corporate career.

[Raj · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book

I’ve been watching her videos on YouTube the short ones and she have some really good insights.
Coming from the far eastern part of the world. This book really really really help me understand the work culture here in USA.
All of the things that left me confused and splitting hair is clearing up after reading the book. So I really like this book, I really appreciate her work and I hope she writes more.