The Silent Struggles of Workers with ADHD

Unlike their neurotypical counterparts, workers with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder often find themselves left behind. Plus, do younger workers still need to ‘pay their dues’ before they can have a voice??

Why workers with ADHD “mask” at work

When Christian got laid off in late 2022, he wasn’t surprised. The 31-year-old, based in New York City, knew he’d fallen behind on his projects as a management consultant, and underperformed with essential job duties.

“I had a tough time grappling with the sorts of executive functioning that our world operates by, like being able to set up meetings, follow through with things, focus and be detail oriented,” he says. His manager had pointed out these failings for months, which is why his termination was hardly shocking.

It’s not that he consciously slacked at work, says Christian – his attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder got in the way.

Millions of workers experience hurdles like Christian’s – and some don’t even know why. But even for people who do have a label for their struggles, a diagnosis isn’t necessarily a fix; many workers with ADHD experience challenges that can inhibit success. And whether they reveal their issues to managers or keep them private, the effects of ADHD follow them around in their careers, affecting their job security, career options, work relationships and even how they feel about themselves.

Read more from Hanna Brooks Olsen and Meredith Turits on how workers with ADHD can struggle without support.

Can younger employees have a voice in the workplace?

?As millennials and Gen Zers make up more of the workforce each year, there’s one big emerging difference that sets them apart from their predecessors. Unlike the generations that came before them, these younger workers are more eager to be heard in the workplace, whether that’s suggesting improvements or innovations; questioning salary and benefits, such as flexible working; and even pressing on larger issues, such as company values and diversity.

Yet while younger workers want to be heard more than ever, they face an underlying paradox: despite the desire to speak up – and often encouragement from employers and colleagues alike to do so – it’s not as simple as coming forward to raise a concern or advocate for themselves. In many cases, they’re facing their older managers, who still expect younger workers to “pay their dues”?before speaking their minds – and not step on their toes as higher-ranking employees.

How are younger workers supposed to reconcile this mismatch – and can they?

Read more from Nicole Kobie on how young workers may struggle to speak up.

More around the BBC:

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• Why some women are struggling to become priests.?

Thanks for reading this week. There’s more on BBC Worklife ?and?BBC Business until we return.

– Meredith Turits , Editor, BBC Worklife