Foreword ADHD can create challenges for adults in the workplace. It may be that some elements of your job are difficult, whilst with others you excel. It is important to think about this. Some people with ADHD can feel like a square peg in a round hole and they just can’t find the right job that fits them. This booklet will help you to think about what your strengths and challenges are and how these relate to work. If sometimes you enjoy most of your job but struggle with certain elements, this booklet will give you some ideas about how to manage the more challenging aspects of your job. We also have another booklet; the ‘ADHD Strategies Book’ which is a companion to this one and may give you more ideas about this. Lastly, there is information on what your rights are at work and where you may be able to seek further help. It will also help you to think about how you can have conversations with your employer about ADHD and what your rights are at work.
If you would like to pass on any comments or suggestions, please click here. For other queries, please contact:
Devon Adult Autism and ADHD Service Forde House (second floor) Park Five Harrier Way Exeter EX2 7HU Telephone: 01392 674 250 Email: dpt.ADHD@nhs.net Opening hours Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm.
Updated Summer 2024
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Neuroaffirmative language
Medical texts often define the criteria for ADHD diagnoses, using clinical terms such as ‘disorder’. Many people feel this is inaccurate and offensive and prefer to describe their experiences in their own words.
Everyone has their own preference for how they want their ADHD to be recognised.
We have adopted the most widely used and accepted terms for the purpose of this resource:
ADHD:
ADHDer / person with ADHD
Autism:
autistic / autistic person
ADHD and Autism:
AuDHDer / person with AuDHD
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Contents
Work, issues to consider ................................................................. 5 Your strengths ................................................................................. 6 Your challenges ............................................................................... 8 Applying for jobs ............................................................................ 10 Self-Employment: advantages and disadvantages for people with ADHD ............................................................................................ 12 Disclosing ADHD at work .............................................................. 14 What can help at work? ................................................................. 16 Coping at work............................................................................... 17 Places you can get support ........................................................... 19 References .................................................................................... 20
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Work, issues to consider
ADHD can significantly impact work life. Some people with ADHD will talk about feeling as if they are swimming upstream concerning their ADHD. This reflects the sense that for some people work can be an exhausting struggle, and perhaps unfulfilling. It can be really important to think about your ADHD in relation to work, whether it is choosing a job, or trying to improve your work life. We say your ADHD because people with ADHD find that it impacts them in different ways. So this booklet talks in broad principles about ADHD. Have a look through and see what applies to you and what does not. There is no one rule in terms of what are ‘good’ jobs for people with ADHD. Everyone with ADHD has a unique pattern of strengths and weaknesses concerning ADHD and beyond. Therefore it is important to think about what your strengths are and what may be more difficult for you with ADHD at work. A job that uses your strengths will be one that you are far more likely to succeed at and also enjoy. Sometimes the balance of your job is important. How much does the job you have, or want, rely on your strengths, as opposed to weaknesses, or vice versa? Is the balance OK for you?
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Your strengths
Most people with ADHD can find work that suits them. This section talks you through the common strengths of some people with ADHD. Look through and think about which ones may apply to you. From here you can think about what jobs may use these assets.
For example, some people with ADHD are incredibly engaging and enthusiastic and find that sales jobs can be a real opportunity to use these strengths well. Hyper-focus : being able to concentrate well on one particular subject and be productive. This can be related to a particular topic that you are interested in. What is this topic, are there jobs close to this, or adjacent to this? Another important element of ADHD is hyper-focus; what
types of tasks you can concentrate on easier than others? For example, some people find when they are doing something practical, like putting together furniture they can focus better, other people can respond to incoming demands through email quickly and efficiently, and others find that focus around other people is high. What areas of life do you concentrate on really well and what may this mean for work? If you focus well around others you may want to think about roles that involve interacting with others.
Enjoying variability and change – many people with ADHD like change, and this can be a real asset in work. There are some jobs in which you need to be responsive to what comes in on that day or to be able to do something different at the drop of a hat. In other jobs need you to be able to do a wide range of activities and therefore there is no time to get bored. If the opposite is true then think about jobs that offer more stability and predictability. Innovative- this can also be an ability to think through problems in creative ways. There are lots of jobs that use this skill, like when you are working on a big project with lots of unforeseen problems in the path it can help to have someone on the team that will look at these challenges differently. It may also mean that you can come up with new ideas and create something valuable.
Liking taking risks – some jobs need you to be cautious and some require more risk-taking. If this is you then find one that is going to value this.
Lots of energy – what does your energy mean for you? Do you need to be on the move all the time, if so a physical job is probably the most helpful solution to this, like building, carpentry, postal workers, etc. Or does it mean that you need to have regular breaks to get up and walk around? Some jobs
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require you to be able to go out and about where you may have a face-to-face role where you need to move around visiting businesses, for example.
Enthusiastic – if so how does this manifest itself at work? Sometimes enthusiasm is a positive social skill. So jobs that involve talking to others and engaging with them can be really good in this instance. Engaging – the same goes for being engaging. If this is one of your strengths then jobs where you need to give lots of talks/ presentations or to bring people alongside you in ideas and concepts can be helpful.
Empathetic – some people with ADHD can talk about this as a real strength and many jobs require this (and not many where it isn’t helpful). So caring professions can be a good opportunity to use this.
Other strengths specific to you
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Your challenges
Other parts of ADHD may be more difficult for you. It is important to think about what the main challenges may be related to your ADHD at work. For example, you may want to think about what type of job would you not be able to (or want to) do, or what parts of the job you do now are problematic for you. It is worth holding these challenges in mind when you are offered promotions as well as thinking about different jobs: will the job role still suit you, with your strengths and challenges of ADHD?
There are always elements of jobs that people will find harder and this is important as it means that you are challenged. However a lot of the time it can be trying to think about the balance and whether the difficult parts of your job overshadow the enjoyment that you may get out of it, or lead to a sense of overwhelm. If you can find a job that leans towards your strengths then this will increase the chance that you will enjoy it and succeed. Thinking about your challenges is a way to help you think about what this may mean for potential jobs. Once again not all people with ADHD will struggle with all of these and it may be that some are real difficulties and also some which you are more able to overcome. Attention to detail - Some people with ADHD struggle with paying close attention to details. Ideas to consider around work are whether you will work in a team or primarily on your own. Sometimes working in teams means that others can pick up on the areas that you are not so good at and so it doesn’t lead to great problems. Other jobs are focused on ‘seeing the big picture’ rather than detail. Attention difficulties – think about what helps you to focus. For some people this is moving around, for others, this is being able to have control over their work and change what they are doing according to their focus, for others it is easier to focus when they are given a specific, focused task, or have a set environment/area they can work in.
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Forgetfulness –therefore jobs where you need to remember large amounts of information for example may be a lot harder than ones where you do not.
Impulsivity – this may impact in several areas so think about what this means for you and where you may notice this at work? With relationships? Or projects? Or in making decisions about what to do next? What may this mean about the type of job which would be good for you?
Other challenges specific to you
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There may be some strategies that help you manage some of these challenges at work.
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Applying for jobs
The jobcentre can sometimes offer support with this, or there may be some youth charities who may offer help.
Have you had a job/jobs in the past? If so, think about:
- What did you like about that job?
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- What was more challenging about this?
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Consider:
- What are your interests? Can you realistically find employment in one of these interests?
- Sleep, this can be impactful in terms of your daily routine. If you sleep poorly and cannot wake up in the morning consistently then work that starts later in the day, or the evening may be the way forward. Some people even find working overnight fits best.
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- Does the job fit with your other commitments?
- When is your focus the best in the day? Can you tailor your work around this?
When you are looking at new jobs think about whether they fit with what you have learned above.
Make sure you read information about the job and perhaps ask someone to look through it as well, alongside your application form.
Some employers have a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria. (ADHD is defined as a disability in law, see below)
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Self-Employment: advantages and disadvantages for people with ADHD
This is not an exhaustive list of pros and cons for self-employment but just ones that may be most relevant for those with ADHD.
1. People with ADHD can have the creativity, resilience, and energy that it takes to work in a self-employed capacity. The lack of a safety net that is associated with being self-employed can be a big challenge. Your ADHD may mean that you can take risks that pay off.
2. Think about whether being self-employed will have a positive impact on your motivation. Think about the trade-off between your personal and professional life. Is now a good time to think about being self- employed in terms of your personal commitments and financial position? Most people find that they rely on savings or financial support from another person when they are starting their own business. 3. Are you thinking of going into business on your own or with someone else? If you are considering working with another person then think about whether you have worked with them before, if they are a friend then working with that person changes the dynamic of your relationship. Is this something you want to risk? If you are going to work with someone else do you have different strengths and weaknesses? Will you have an agreement around money or roles and responsibilities before you start? 4. When you become self-employed you often have to take on all the roles of the business, at least in the beginning. These are wide and varied, which might be a good thing, but also may be a challenge. Here are some roles that you may end up needing to do (on top of the core work); accounts, cleaning, sales, marketing, and project management, amongst many others.
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Consider some of the other advantages/ disadvantages of being self-employed for people with ADHD:
Advantages
- You may more easily select your work and where you work, to fit your needs - You make your schedule, being able to work at times that suit you or for a length of time that works for you and helps you be most productive. You can find a way of working that fits for you - You can choose the people you work with, this can be especially important if you struggle with getting on with others at work - You can be the boss! If you find it difficult to take instructions from others or want to be leading the agenda then self-employed work can be for you - You can make the important decisions - Doing what you are passionate about and interested in can sustain you through some of the challenges you face
Disadvantages
- Organising is likely to be something that you do a lot. Think about who you can get to help you with this or whether there are systems that can help you, for example, invoicing. - Stress may increase - No paid time off for appointments, sickness, holidays, etc. - For some working mostly alone can be tough - Some of the potential inconsistencies of being self-employed can be stressful (like finances) but also provide opportunities for new avenues of work and potentially reduce boredom. - Most people say they work longer hours through being employed, as it is difficult to turn work down - People also report that they need to be constantly available, taking telephone calls and emails at unusual times. Think about whether this would work for you and how you would manage in this context. - You will need two years of self-employed books to be able to apply for a mortgage and being self-employed can make applying for a mortgage more problematic.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has some more information which may help you make the decision (see gov.uk)
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Disclosing ADHD at work
Disclosing ADHD is a personal decision, you do not have to talk about your ADHD to your employers (there may be some exceptions, like the army or police- check when you are applying). Do you need help at work? If you are performing well there may be no reason to do this. Also, consider your work environment and how people have been treated in the past. How do you think they will receive the news? It may be that your organisation approaches people with neurodiversity positively. Bigger organisations may have information about this on their websites and what you can expect from them. You may have noticed others in your organisation being supported because of disclosing other difficulties, for example. Is there a general culture of understanding and support or not? This can help you decide whether you ask for support at work with your ADHD. If this is the case then it might be a good idea to talk to your employer about your ADHD, they may come up with some supportive ideas, even if you are doing ‘OK’.
If you are having problems at work then it may make sense to disclose your ADHD so that they can review what support they can offer you so that you might succeed in the workplace. Sometimes you can suggest, and get helpful changes, without needing to disclose your difficulties. For example, if working from home is hard for you because of distractions then you can ask to be office-based (or vice versa). You can ask to work flexibly (some organisations allow this) which may mean that you can do physical exercise during your lunch break and work later to improve your concentration in the afternoon, for example.
Talking to your employer
If you do decide to talk to your employers about your ADHD then think and prepare for this conversation. There is a lot of misinformation and wrong beliefs about ADHD out there so make sure you have some good information about what ADHD is (there is a good description in our strategies book) so prepare (write it down):
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- Firstly think about what you want to get out of the conversation, what would you hope to change and stay the same? (not all of these may happen but it’s good to have an idea of what you think would be helpful for you)
Think about what you are going to say
- How will you explain what ADHD is to your employer (they may not know) - Think about how ADHD affects you at work: o Use this booklet to think about what your strengths are at work related to ADHD o And also what you may struggle with - What do you think your employers could do to help you? (see below for ideas around this) - Consider what has helped you to overcome difficulties in the past at work. Is there anything that you learned from this which may help you now at work?
Think about when and how you have the conversation
When:
- Who do you need to talk to? - Arrange a time that works for you both, think about when in the day you want to have this conversation- depending on your concentration or how you are feeling. Do you want to have a break afterward? - Do you need to arrange a follow-up?
How:
Be clear - as clear as you can be about why you want the meeting and what you hope to get out of it
Sometimes it helps to say why your requests would be good for your boss/team/employers too. For example, could this improve your productivity, your contributions to the team, and your relationships with your colleagues? - How may you assert yourself if you need to? Can you approach the conversation confidently? Don’t apologise for asking for what you need. - Make sure to ask them what their ideas are about what could help you. - Be willing to listen to their point of view – even though you may not agree. - If you can’t agree, ask them where to go from here. This is a shared problem to solve.
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What can help at work?
Adjustments by employers
ADHD is covered by the Equality Act (2010). This means that employers must make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for people in England, Wales, and Scotland who have a disability. Here disability refers to how it is defined in law; anything (physical or mental) that substantially impacts your ability to do normal daily activities. ‘Reasonable adjustments’ are changes that remove barriers, to give you the best opportunity to do the job. ‘Reasonable’ is decided based on your role, the length of the contract, cost, size, and resources of the organisation. Here are some ideas about what these adjustments could be (but not all of these will be relevant to your role or available in your organisation):
Equipment:
- Dictaphones - Coloured overlays - Noise-cancelling headphones
Flexible working:
- Where you work - When you work - Remember if you request working from home then you also need to think about how you will avoid isolation and check in with your team. - It is important to maintain a sense of connectedness to support your mental health.
Environment:
- Desks away from distractions/ option for private space - Regular times for meetings
Support: - Written summaries of conversations - ‘Can you email me that?’ - Work with a manager or colleague who structures tasks and projects and reviews progress - Clear deadlines and reviews - Help to break down tasks
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Coping at work
We have a booklet that outlines strategies that may help you with your ADHD. You can find this on our website or contact us to request this. We will not go into strategies in detail here, just give you an overview of those which may be particularly helpful at work.
Tips to prevent boredom:
- Set a timer to stay on task, use the Pomodoro technique. There is a lot of information out there about the Pomodoro technique so search this, or see our strategies book. The Pomodoro technique can be really useful when you have large pieces of work to do that are difficult to focus on, or that you find yourself putting off. It introduces small breaks to increase your motivation to do a task. - Think about ‘chunking’; can you break down tasks into smaller chunks? If you manage to do this then you will find that your motivation to do these tasks will increase, because they will feel more manageable. Can you break your day down into chunks of time where you complete certain activities? - Give yourself rewards and breaks; this is important. Many people with ADHD struggle with feeling a sense of achievement when they finish a task so rewards can be a way to make it more likely that they will do the task, and do more tasks in the future. It can be hard to reward yourself, but it is really important.
- Use momentum by using interesting tasks to spur you to complete tasks you are less interested in
Tips to manage distraction
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Choose where you sit carefully to reduce distractions
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Use noise-cancelling headphones
- Try white (brown, pink… etc.) noise apps- whatever works for you!
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Put your mobile phone out of reach
- Keep a list of ideas that come to your head so that you can write things down and continue with the task you are doing
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Limit notification messages on your screen
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Tips to manage restlessness
- Exercise in the morning to reduce restlessness and improve concentration
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Go for a walk on your lunch break
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Build in breaks
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Use objects to fidget with in meetings etc.
- Get permission to move around while in meetings (if appropriate)
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Take notes in meetings and during phone calls
Organisation
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Keep a ‘things to do’ list, and add all new tasks to it
- Review your ‘things to do’ list at set points in the day, every day (such as first thing, lunchtime, and last thing) to check that you are on task.
- Set aside particular times a day for emails and phone calls so that they are not constantly interrupting you. This has been shown to increase productivity.
- Use color-coded organisation systems to prompt memory and sustain interest.
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Places you can get support
Access to Work
Access to Work is a government-funded employment support program that offers to help people with difficulties, including ADHD, stay in employment. It is best to talk to your employer before you contact Access to Work. You may want to use them if you are struggling in employment related to your ADHD or you are at risk of losing your job. Before this point, you may find that your ADHD is impacting significantly on your ability to do your job. There are many different elements of support they may be able to offer you. Support may be practical (adjustments in terms of equipment) or to support your mental health. It does not matter how much you earn and includes those who work from home.
Here are some examples of practical support they may offer (this is not an exhaustive list):
- BSL interpreters, lip speakers or note-takers
- Adaptations to vehicles to get to work
- A support worker/ job coach to help you with work
- Special equipment in the workplace to make your job easier
- Adaptations to the environment that might help you at work
This is what they say about what is offered for mental health support:
- A tailored plan to help you to get or stay in work
- One-to-one sessions with a mental health professional (related to work)
Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work
They also offer support with communication for job interviews, if this is a difficulty for you. See their website for eligibility for all of the above on the website.
The Royal College of Nursing has published some Neurodiversity guidance. You can direct your employers to these if they need more support with this. You do not need to be a nurse, it is applicable across organisations. Look for RCN Neurodiversity Guidance For employers, managers, staff, and students.
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References
http://aadduk.proboards.com/thread/9959/workplace-accommodations
https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/employees-with-attention-deficit-disorder- practical-and-legal-tips/
https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work
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