In a way they weren’t big things, but they made a substantial difference to my ability to do my job well and to be able to be more relaxed, and sort of more myself, at work.
These words are reflections by a woman in her 40s, who had recently been diagnosed with ADHD following an online ADHD Assessment. She had met with her line manager to agree some “Reasonable Adjustments” which had been implemented for her at work.
“Reasonable Adjustments” are changes which an employer makes to minimise or reduce a disadvantage which is caused by an individual’s disability. A “disability” under the 2010 Equality Act is a mental or physical impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse impact on an individual’s ability to perform their daily activities. For someone to be diagnosed with ADHD, their symptoms have to be pervasive and persistent, and therefore ADHD is usually accepted as a disability under the terms of the Equality Act.
Reasonable Adjustments are tailored to fit the needs of each person. They might include changing the way in which a person performs tasks, altering their work environment, changing aspects of their role and responsibilities or minimising elements of their job which they find stressful. People with ADHD often struggle to maintain their concentration and to manage distractions. However, one person may know that they are more productive if they go into work more, because their dog distracts them at home, whereas someone else may concentrate better at home where it is quieter and where they are not surrounded by colleagues in the office who are having interesting and distracting conversations.
Reasonable adjustments might include having additional support such as specialist training or coaching, for example to prioritise and organise work, or being given specific equipment such as a standing desk. It is important that Reasonable Adjustments not only provide support for tasks which a person finds difficult but that they identify and maximise the person’s strengths. A person with ADHD may be brilliant at coming up with creative ideas and provide a lot of energy and motivation to their team at the beginning of a project, but they may lack the engagement and attention to detail needed to complete the less stimulating aspects of the task. So, that person’s job role might be adjusted to exploit their creativity and reduce their responsibilities at the end of a project. Or someone with ADHD might be an insightful trouble-shooter but struggle to keep on top of routine administration. They might be provided with some administrative support to enhance their effectiveness and minimise the tasks they find difficult.
The process of putting Reasonable Adjustments in place should involve the person with ADHD meeting with their line manager or supervisor to identify what Reasonable Adjustments will be helpful for them. When these have been agreed, the Reasonable Adjustments should be trialled for a period of time and then reviewed at another meeting. The time between reviews will vary depending on the situation and work role, but people often find that monthly reviews are helpful. This gives time to experiment with changes and decide if they are supporting the person. It’s also important that Reasonable Adjustments don’t have a negative impact on the health and safety or wellbeing of colleagues and so this may also be part of a review. An employer can refuse requested Reasonable Adjustments on these grounds, or, for example, if they are not practical or would be unreasonably expensive to implement. At a review meeting, Reasonable Adjustments may be altered to make them more effective, or alternative Reasonable Adjustments may be tried or it may be clear that the Reasonable Adjustments have been useful and they can then stay in place. It may take several months to maximise the effectiveness of Reasonable Adjustments and good collaboration between the person with ADHD and their workplace, particularly their manager or supervisor, is essential.
Some large companies, who may have many employees with a disability, will be very experienced in implementing Reasonable Adjustments. They may be able to make suggestions of what range of Reasonable Adjustments may be helpful for someone with ADHD and what will be viable within that specific workplace. There may also be support groups for employees who are neurodiverse and other group members can be very helpful in suggesting Reasonable Adjustments they have found helpful. People are often very creative in finding Reasonable Adjustments which are effective solutions to challenges in the workplace and the contribution of colleagues who have lived experience of implementing Reasonable Adjustments can be invaluable. In contrast, for workplaces with very few employees, this may be their first experience of dealing with a request for reasonable adjustments or their first experience of implementing reasonable adjustments for someone with ADHD. If this is the case then it is often helpful to draw on other sources of help and information and some of these are listed below.
The decision about whether to disclose your ADHD to an employer, in order to request Reasonable Adjustments is a very personal one. Some people are very comfortable doing this and others are not. Also, workplaces obviously vary considerably in how sensitive and how effective they are in supporting the implementation of Reasonable Adjustments. However, the right to request Reasonable Adjustments is part of a legal framework and it is important to understand that this is a right to support you in staying in work and being able to work effectively with the specific strengths and challenges which you have.
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