Knowing how to ask for reasonable adjustments at work when you have ADHD is one of those things that sounds straightforward until you’re actually facing it. You know something needs to change. You may even have a clear sense of what would help. But the conversation itself – who to have it with, what to say, how much to disclose, and what happens next – can feel like an enormous barrier on top of everything else you’re already managing. This post is here to help with exactly that.
What reasonable adjustments actually are
Under the Equality Act 2010, employers in the UK have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for employees whose disability puts them at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled colleagues. ADHD can meet the legal definition of a disability when it has a substantial and long-term impact on day-to-day activities – which, for many adults with ADHD, it does.
Reasonable adjustments are changes to how you work, where you work, or what you’re asked to do – designed to remove or reduce that disadvantage. They’re not special treatment. They’re not asking for an easier ride. They’re the practical equivalent of providing a ramp for someone who uses a wheelchair: removing a barrier that shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
What’s “reasonable” depends on the specific situation – your role, your employer’s size and resources, and the nature of the adjustment itself. There’s no fixed list. What helps one person with ADHD may be completely unhelpful for another, which is why the process needs to be a conversation rather than a form.
What you might ask for
Adjustments that commonly help people with ADHD at work include:
- Written instructions and confirmation of verbal conversations, so nothing gets lost
- Clear, explicit deadlines rather than open-ended tasks
- Regular brief check-ins rather than infrequent formal reviews
- Flexibility around working hours or location, particularly for tasks requiring deep focus
- A quieter workspace or the option to use noise-cancelling headphones
- Breaking larger projects into smaller milestones with intermediate check-points
- Extra time for certain tasks or assessments, where relevant
- Reallocation of specific tasks that are disproportionately difficult given your ADHD profile
- Access to ADHD coaching or coping strategy support, which can be funded through Access to Work
This list is illustrative, not prescriptive. The most useful adjustments are the ones that address your specific points of friction – which means knowing what those are before you go into the conversation.
Before you have the conversation
It helps to do some preparation, not because you need to justify yourself, but because clarity on your side makes the conversation easier and the outcomes more useful.
Think about what’s actually making things harder. Not in general terms, but specifically: which tasks, which situations, which aspects of your current working environment create the most difficulty? Is it task initiation? Meetings without agendas? Open-plan noise? Unclear expectations? Time-sensitive decision-making? Being specific helps both you and your employer understand what would actually make a difference.
Think about what has already helped, even partially. Have there been times when things worked better – a different kind of briefing, a quieter space, more structure around a project? What was different? Those clues are useful.
Think about what you want from the conversation. Are you asking for specific adjustments? Do you want to explore options together? Do you simply want your employer to be aware of your diagnosis? These are different conversations, and it’s worth knowing which one you’re going in for.
You don’t have to have all the answers before you start. But going in with some sense of the problem – even if you’re not yet sure of the solution – gives the conversation somewhere to go.
Who to talk to
In most workplaces, the right starting point is your line manager, unless you have specific reason to go elsewhere – for instance, if your manager is part of the difficulty, or if you’d feel more comfortable raising it with HR first.
If your workplace has an occupational health service, they can be a valuable resource. A referral to occupational health – which you can often request yourself – can result in a formal report with recommendations, which can make the adjustment process more straightforward.
If you’re not sure where to start, a brief, informal conversation with HR about the process – before disclosing anything specific – can help you understand what to expect.
How to have the conversation
You don’t have to disclose your full medical history to ask for adjustments. You’re not required to share a diagnosis if you don’t want to, though disclosing does give your employer a clearer legal obligation to act.
A straightforward opening might be: “I’d like to talk about some changes to how I work that I think would help me perform better. I have ADHD, and I’ve been thinking about what would make a real difference.” You can then describe the specific difficulties and what you think might help, keeping the focus on the work and the outcomes rather than the condition itself.
It’s reasonable to ask for the conversation to be followed up in writing – a summary of what was discussed and what was agreed. This protects both you and your employer, and means adjustments are less likely to be forgotten or quietly withdrawn.
If the conversation doesn’t go as you’d hoped, you’re not out of options. You can ask for a follow-up meeting, involve HR, request an occupational health referral, or – if you feel your employer isn’t meeting their legal obligations – seek advice from a union representative or an external organisation such as ACAS.
If you’re self-employed or considering it
If you work for yourself, or are thinking about it, Access to Work can fund support that makes self-employment more manageable – including ADHD coaching, specialist equipment, and administrative support. It’s worth exploring even if you’re not sure you qualify; the application process starts with a conversation about your needs.
A final note
Asking for adjustments can feel exposing, especially if you’ve spent years managing without support, or if previous attempts to raise difficulties haven’t gone well. The vulnerability involved in saying “this is hard for me, and I need something to change” is real – and it’s compounded by the fact that ADHD is still widely misunderstood.
You’re not asking for too much. You’re asking for the conditions that allow you to do the work you’re capable of. That’s a reasonable thing to want, and a reasonable thing to ask for.
If you’d like support preparing for that conversation, or thinking through what adjustments might genuinely help, ADHD coaching can be a useful space for exactly that. A free discovery call is a good place to start.
Related reading
ADHD and Reasonable Adjustments: Is the Environment the Real Problem?
