ADHD Workplace Adjustments: A Complete Guide

From noise-cancelling headphones to 'body doubling'. What ADHD employees can reasonably ask for to improve focus and productivity.

Understanding ADHD at Work

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is considered a disability under the Equality Act 2010 if it has a “substantial and long-term negative effect” on your ability to do normal daily activities.

This means employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments.

Note: You do not necessarily need a formal diagnosis to request adjustments, though medical evidence helps.

The “ADHD Tax” on Productivity

ADHD is not just about “being distracted”. In the workplace, it often manifests as:

Time Blindness: Struggling to estimate how long tasks take or being chronically late.
Executive Dysfunction: Difficulty starting tasks, even important ones (paralysis).
Sensory Overload: Inability to filter out office noise (phones, lights, chatter).
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): Intense emotional response to perceived criticism.

Top Reasonable Adjustments for ADHD

1. Focus & Sensory Tools

Noise-cancelling headphones: To block out open-plan office noise.
Quiet Zones: Permission to work in an empty meeting room or library space when deep focus is needed.
Lighting: Dimmer switches or sitting away from flickering fluorescent lights.

2. Time & Organization

“Buffer” Start Times: allowing a window (e.g., 9:00 - 9:15) without penalty, provided hours are made up.
Written Instructions: Asking for a follow-up email after verbal meetings (verbal processing can be poor).
Agendas in Advance: To allow preparation time.

3. “Body Doubling”

Body doubling is the practice of working alongside someone else to stay on task.

In Office: Sitting with a colleague who is also working quietly.
Remote: A “cameras on, mics off” video call with a team member.

4. Software (Access to Work)

The government’s Access to Work grant can pay for:

Text-to-speech software (like Dragon).
Mind-mapping software (like MindView).
ADHD Coaching: 1-on-1 sessions to build coping strategies.

What is NOT Reasonable?

Removing core duties: You still have to do the job. If the job is “Receptionist”, you cannot ask to avoid answering phones.
Unlimited deadlines: Deadlines are usually necessary for business. Asking for realistic or broken-down deadlines is reasonable; asking for none is not.

How to Ask

Be specific. Don’t just say “I have ADHD”. Say:

“I struggle with background noise in the open plan office. Using noise-cancelling headphones allows me to focus and increases my output.”