Two things employers need to know to support people with ADHD at work

Today I got asked 'We've got a new starter who's told us that she has ADHD what can we do to help her?'. So I'm sharing two of the main things which employers and employees need to know about when supporting a co-worker, managee or employee with who has told you they have ADHD.

Before we get started it’s worth mentioning that in order for an employee to get help with access to work they need to share they have ADHD with work (which is an entirely different topic in itself). Which isn’t always possible or easy for many people.

Ways to support colleagues who have told you they have ADHD:

1. Access to Work:? is free government support for anyone with ADHD (diagnosed or undiagnosed). It is a grant given to anyone with ADHD which can cover ADHD coaching, equipment like noise-cancelling headphones, a standing desk and even a support worker to help with things like organisation, diary management etc. The Access to Work application is not ADHD friendly, but there is support available. ADHD works are providing an application assistance service which is redeemable against any ADHD coaching in future.?

I provide coaching through access to work so please contact me [email protected] if you want to find out more.?

1. Reasonable adjustments: it is a legal requirement for employers to provide adjustments to working environments and support for employees with ADHD under the disability discrimination act. This sounds complicated, but it can include things like flexible working hours, providing good supportive management and treating people like people.?

People with ADHD may not be aware of what they want or need so below there are some ideas:

IMPORTANT: Everyone with ADHD is different so its vital not to make assumptions and to work WITH your employee on what support you/they need.?This may change over time too and may need reviewing.?

Learning about what your ADHD looks like at work is key when deciding what reasonable adjustments to ask for as an employee and this can be helpful to work through with a coach, or reflect on in a journal.?

Here’s a list including many reasonable adjustments you can choose from: https://www.agcas.org.uk/write/MediaUploads/Resources/Disability%20TG/Reasonable_Adjustments_-_Neurodiversity.pdf ?

Focus and concentration

• Flexible start and finish times around core working hours, so you can work at the times of day when you are most productive, or fit in exercise before work
• Breaks for exercise/getting outside to aid concentration, or help with hyperactivity
• Hybrid working, having some working from home days which are less distracting than being in the office
• Buffer time between meetings - 45 min meetings, or meeting free days as concentrating during meetings can be very draining?
• Use visual timers like clocks or online timers + alarms so you don’t ‘lose’ the day if you get distracted, or hyperfocus. Set alarms/reminders for meetings
• Use do not disturb settings on teams, or ask people not to talk to you when you’re in the office
• Noise-cancelling headphones for when you’re in the office
• Quiet areas in offices - see if you can book a meeting room or go to a quiet space if being in the office is overwhelming/distracting
• Practice mindfulness to increase concentration - your company may subsidise a subscription to headspace or calm

Meetings

• Have a reason for having a meeting to avoid unnecessary drains on energy for employees, think about the objective and outcomes of a meeting
• Ask yourself, could this be an email or briefing form? Why does everyone need to attend?
• Provide agendas ahead of time so people know what to expect, some senior colleagues I know refused to attend meetings without agendas - a great way to avoid pointless meetings
• Brief people if they need to contribute to reduce the stress of putting people on the spot
• Can I grab you for a quick chat? Is terrifying for anyone who has anxiety, so try and provide a bit of context if you can, or at least ‘no need to be worried’.

RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria)

People with ADHD may experience RSD which is extreme emotional and even physical reactions to criticism or rejection, this is really difficult to deal with and can be debilitating. There are some things you can do to help this:

• Regular feedback, so it is less scary
• Feedback delivered in writing, and in person, so they know that they aren’t getting fired when things like typos or errors are pointed out (honestly this is how I feel sometimes)
• Regular 1-1 meetings with managers to check-in on stress levels and offer support
• Constructive + positive feedback so employees know they are doing OK
• Examples of what is expected of them
• Sharing own experiences of feedback on other colleagues and their own work, really helped me to know I wasn’t being singled out

Hyperactivity

• Standing desk or moving chair?
• Movement breaks
• Walking calls (I love these)

Instructions/task management

People with ADHD can have an up to 30% developmental delay in executive functions which include: memory, organising tasks, prioritising, task initiation and time management. Which can make remembering or processing instructions challenging:

• Written follow ups to verbal instructions
• Sending written meeting notes and next steps out after meetings
• Always setting clear deadlines, and sometimes additional deadlines for internal reviews
• Using task management software like Monday.com or Asana?
• Support with project management - reminders ahead of important deadlines
• Visual project management like wall charts/calendars for deadlines
• To do lists: everyone has a different system, but keeping daily lists short with clear priorities help. Things like productivity planners can help. Coaching is also great to work out the best system.

Attention to detail

Attention to detail was my absolute arch nemesis professionally and can be a real challenge for ADHDers who have interest based attention systems, and literally may not spot mistakes.

?This is not because the person is careless or lazy, and can cause a deep sense of shame and embarrassment. It may be an area where people need additional support via access to work or through software.

• Support with proofreading software like Grammarly
• Additional time to allow checking work a day later
• Support worker through access to work to proof read work
• Mentoring/coaching to help build skills in a safe non-judgemental environment

Stress management

• Employee assistance programs which include free therapy and counselling
• Mentor support from someone you don’t work with
• Daily mindfulness to reduce stress
• Regularly checking in on employees to see how they are doing, and not just using 1-1’s to discuss the to do list
• A reasonable workload to address work-life balance: all of the above methods are futile if there isn’t space for employees to pause and not think about work
• Clear boundaries around working hours and when it is expected to respond to emails, leading by example is key here
• Separate work phone - switched off outside of work hours?

Is there anything else that you would add too this list? Email me [email protected]

You may be thinking that all of these accomodations sound like something which would benefit everyone at work? That's right, because neuroinclusive working environments do benefit everyone and that is a hill that I will die on.