Everything you need to know about working with people with ADHD
20 March 2025
Working with people with ADHD
People with ADHD can add huge value in the workplace and often make great business leaders.
However, having ADHD can also present challenges in a working environment.
Here, we take a closer look at the symptoms of ADHD and how they can manifest in the workplace, as well as offering tips on how to manage employees with ADHD to meet employment law obligations and help them reach their full potential.
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a relatively common lifelong mental health condition that affects an estimated 1 in 20 individuals.
ADHD can be diagnosed at any stage in life and can affect anyone regardless of gender or ethnicity.
Know your numbers
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates the global prevalence of ADHD in children to be around 5%, and in adults in the UK at 3% – 4%1.
What are the main symptoms of ADHD?
According to the NHS list, symptoms of ADHD that adults can experience include:
- Getting easily distracted, particularly when doing a boring task
- Having trouble listening to other people and finding it hard to follow instructions
- Having difficulty getting organised and finishing tasks
- Fidgeting and feeling restless
- Forgetfulness
- Irritability and impatience
- Finding stress hard to handle
- Impulsivity
Not all ADHD symptoms make life harder, though. In fact, some ADHD symptoms can be a boon in the workplace. These include:
- Creativity
- Innovative thinking
- Excellent communication skills
- The ability to hyperfocus
- Adaptability
- High levels of energy and motivation
- Resilience
In a working environment, such symptoms make ADHD employees particularly capable in high-stakes situations, such as when there's a crisis to be managed or a problem to be solved.
What do employers need to know about ADHD in the workplace?
ADHD qualifies as both a disability and a long-term health condition under the terms of the Equality Act 2010, as long as it as a "substantial" and "long term" negative effect on an individual's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
That means employers are required to make "reasonable adjustments" to ensure that people with ADHD are not placed at a disadvantage compared to colleagues unaffected by the condition - both in the workplace and during the recruitment process.
What is considered "reasonable" depends on various factors, including the size of the employer, the nature of the work, and the impact on the business.
Did you know?
Despite their notable strengths, US research suggests that employees with ADHD are 30% more likely to have chronic employment issues, 60% more likely to be fired from a job, and three times more likely to quit a job impulsively.2
What reasonable adjustments can be made to help colleagues with ADHD?
Every person with ADHD has slightly different symptoms. And every workplace is unique.
So, in most cases, the best approach is for the employer and the employee to discuss their needs and find a solution that suits both parties.
That said, examples of reasonable adjustments employers can make to improve conditions for employees with ADHD include:
- Adjusting the working environment: people with ADHD often find it hard to concentrate in a noisy office, so they may work better in a quiet office with a door that can be closed than in an open plan set up.
- Changing work patterns: as timekeeping can be challenging for people with ADHD, employers can consider introducing flexible working hours or allowing employees to work from home.
- Providing additional support: this could include calendar management and automatic reminder systems, as well as blocking out chunks of time to allow them to maximise their hyperfocus potential.
- Adjusting recruitment processes: a robust anti-discrimination policy is vital, while workplace workshops on ADHD and other forms of neurodiversity can be helpful for both recruitment and on-going workplace harmony.
How else can employers help employees with ADHD reach their full potential?
People with ADHD can achieve great things, but often in a different way to neurotypical colleagues.
Here are 7 top tips for helping employees with ADHD maximise their performance at work:
- Assign short-term deadlines - having too long to complete a task can cause someone with ADHD to forget about it or get caught up in other tasks
- Focus on the outcome rather than the journey and allow ADHD colleagues the flexibility to do things their way
- Set up meetings with an ADHD coach who can help ADHD workers develop personalised strategies for success
- Educate the wider workforce about ADHD and how it can affect the behaviour of individuals affected by the condition
- Provide meeting feedback in the form of bullet points that people with ADHD may find easier to digest
- Normalise ADHD employees taking regular breaks - say five minutes every half hour - if they are struggling to focus
- Avoid burnout by scheduling frequent catch ups to ensure ADHD colleagues are managing their workload
What support is available for employees and employers with ADHD?
Employees with ADHD are entitled to financial support to help them maximise their potential in the workplace.
This support is provided by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and is dependent on either an independent assessment requested by the employee, or an occupational health assessment conducted by their employer.
Where reasonable adjustments are found to be necessary, most costs over and above the first £1,000 can be met by the DWP's Access to Work scheme.
So, even though employing people with ADHD can bring extra costs at first, the good news is that many of these can be met with government funds - and the long-term benefits of having ADHD colleagues on your workforce can far outweigh the disruption caused by any initial adjustments.
Did you know?
Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Walt Disney all have - or had - ADHD. And they all felt the condition helped them be successful in business.