Ask for workplace adjustments
Not ratedADHD evidence
A focused request can help your workplace reduce barriers linked to ADHD.
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 An editorial priority for the general list, weighted by certainty. It does not predict 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.