Ask for workplace adjustments
A focused support request can help your workplace reduce barriers linked to ADHD.
Not ratedADHD evidence
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Write down the one work barrier you'd most like support with.
5 minutes
Write one sentence on the barrier and one on an adjustment that might help.
15 minutes
Draft a short support request and work out who at work should receive it.
A plan
Make a focused adjustment request
- Identify a specific work barrier.
- Discuss a suitable adjustment and relevant confidentiality.
- Review whether the agreed change helps.
How sure the science is
Not rated, ADHD evidence
No pooled trials to rate. This rests on single studies, expert consensus or clinical practice. Measured in people with ADHD.
ADHD-specific NHS advice on reasonable adjustments and NICE NG87 1.4.3; no rated trial effect for particular changes.
The number, drawn
Request workplace changes to help manage ADHD
Why it matters
Workplace adjustments change the demands or surroundings that make ADHD harder to manage. NHS guidance gives examples like a quieter workspace, written instructions and help structuring tasks, and NICE says the conversation after diagnosis should cover your right to reasonable adjustments at work. These are practical recommendations, not evidence that any particular adjustment improves symptoms by a known amount.
How to do it
- Identify one work barrier and the change you think could address it.
- Find the right manager, occupational health contact or workplace support service.
- Talk about what information they need and what you are comfortable sharing.
- Agree the adjustment and a date to check whether it helps.
Disclosure and workplace rights depend on local rules and your circumstances. Ask about confidentiality and share only what the request needs.
Putting it into practice
In real life
- If holding on to spoken instructions is the problem, ask for a written follow-up.
- Talk about a quieter workspace with whoever handles workplace adjustments.
Watch out for
- Common mistake'Make work easier' is hard for anyone to act on. Name the barrier and the change you want.
- Common mistakeNo adjustment suits every role. Agree when you'll check how it's working.
Trusted guides
How we rated it
- Evidence grade
- C Small or mixed studies, expert consensus or clinical practice. Worth knowing, not worth betting on.
- The number
- Request workplace changes to help manage ADHD (NHS, 2025)
- Benefit
- 61/100 The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of what will happen for you.
- Effort
- Some effort
Sources
- Tier 1 guidelineADHD in adultsNHS, 2025
- Tier 1 guidelineADHD in Adults: 4 Things to KnowNIMH, 2024
- Tier 1 guidelineAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NG87), recommendationsNICE, 2019
General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you. Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.