You've done your best to manage your ADHD at work, but when times are tough at the company, you worry that your attention deficit will put you first on the chopping block. If you feel on the verge of getting fired, don't panic — here's how to make sense of your legal rights in the workplace.
If ADHD symptoms make it hard for you to work, you may be legally disabled. Here, an employment attorney explains your rights in the workplace, the laws that protect you, and what accommodations might be necessary to protect you and help you succeed.
Starter guide on ADHD workplace accommodations - how to work with and manage ADHD employees, and how to be productive at work with ADHD.
ADHD in the Workplace is a very important topic for adults with ADHD since most adults with ADHD are working or seeking work. It is well known that those with ADHD often are under-educated relative to their intellectual ability and under-employed in their occupations relative to their intelligence. They tend to get fired and change jobs more often than others do because of issues like boredom, work performance, and/or interpersonal problems at home that interfere with work or interpersonal problems with others at work. These employment issues can lead to increased family stress and loss of health and retirement benefits. In fact, there is a huge financial burden that accompanies ADHD. Individuals with ADHD on average earn approximately $8,000/yr less than those without ADHD. This translates into about $77 billion in combined lost income each year once the loss per individual is multiplied by the number of individuals with ADHD. What are some of the potential problems at work? Time management and procrastination issues may lead to missed deadlines. Organizational issues may lead to lost work. Impulsivity may strain interpersonal relations. Difficulties sitting still that may make completing assignments more challenging. Difficultly with attending to details, managing long-term projects, and boredom may result in suboptimal work. These troubles at work can easily lead to depression, anxiety, panic and insomnia- symptoms that individuals often seek medical attention for. It is critical that your primary care or mental health provider recognizes that these symptoms may be secondary to the primary problem of ADHD and that treatment must be for the ADHD and not just for the secondary symptoms. If your provider treats only the secondary symptoms with anxiolytics, antidepressants, tranquilizers and hypnotics without addressing the core ADHD issues, treatment will probably not be effective. How can ADHDers overcome problems at work? Individuals with ADHD are protected at work under the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 however being diagnosed with ADHD does not automatically make someone eligible for protection or accommodations. In order to be eligible for protection under the Act, an employee must disclose their disability to the employer. However many individuals with ADHD are hesitant to disclose their ADHD to their employer since this disclosure can be a double edged sword. While on one hand the disclosure can provide legal protection, some worry that disclosure on the other hand may lead to discrimination because their employers may be skeptical that the condition even exists and have no idea about the various symptoms associated with ADHD and how debilitating these symptoms can be. One thing people with ADHD can do in order to obtain accommodations at work without disclosing their diagnosis is to ask their employer for certain accommodations based on "a medical condition" without revealing to the employer the ADHD diagnosis. If you choose to ask your employer for medical accommodations, you should ask the doctor that treats your ADHD to write a letter to your employer supporting your request for these accommodations. This letter, as above, does not need to include any mention of your diagnosis. I have written many such letters for patients in my practice and they have found this to be very helpful. Another thing people with ADHD can do to maximize work performance is to hire an ADHD coach. Coaches can be helpful to those with ADHD by offering useful tools to get through the work day more efficiently and effectively. You can find a coach by checking www.adhdcoaches.org which is the professional membership organization for ADHD coaches. Another option is to find a professional career counselor with experience in ADHD. This counselor, once they get to know you, can assist you in finding a suitable careers where your strengths are maximized and your weaknesses are minimized. These counselors can be located through resources such as www.chadd.org- the National Organization for Children and Adults with ADHD and www.help4adhd.org: the National Resource Center on ADHD. If you would like to read and learn more about how the symptoms of ADHD lead to impairments at work I recommend reading a landmark book entitled “ADHD in Adults: What the Science Says” by Russell Barkley PhD, a leading researcher on ADHD. Dr. Barkely reviews in this book groundbreaking scientific information stemming from the results of two major research investigations that shed light upon the significant impairments caused by symptoms of ADHD across major life activities such as work and relationships. Other good books on this topic include: Wilma Fellman “Finding A Career That Works For You: A Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing a Career” Kathleen Nadeau “ADD In The Workplace: Choices, Changes, And Challenges” Lynn Weiss “ADD on the Job: Making Your ADD Work For You” Other websites to consider include: www.askjan.org: The Job Accommodation Network provides information about job accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act www.dol.gov/odep: The United States Department of Labor Office of Disability and Employment Policy www.askearn.org: Resources to help employers hire and retain people with disabilities www.careeronestop.org: Tools to help job seekers, students, businesses and career professionals sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Wendy Woodard PsyD and I will be co-moderating our next Adult ADHD support group (free) on this very topic on Monday, June 6, 2011 from 6-7 PM at Seattle Healing Arts Center. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on how ADHD effects us in the workplace and how we can make our ADHD work in our favor in the workplace? Please use the comment form below and let me know. Hope to see you at the next group!
ADHD comes with challenges that can be a problem or the reason you succeed. Learn about the 6 best types of jobs for people with ADHD.
Employees with ADHD can be a tremendous asset to any team – says one expert – here’s how HR can help them thrive.
Whether it’s the CEO or an employee who has the condition, harnessing the energy of trendsetting, out-of-the-box thinkers can boost productivity and job satisfaction.
The symptoms of ADHD can create challenges for the adult in the workplace, just as they do for children in school. Some adults with ADHD have very successful careers. Others may struggle with a variety of challenges, including poor communication skills, distractibility, procrastination and difficulty managing complex projects. Seeking assistance from a career counselor, psychologist,…
ADHD myths can get in the way of people seeking treatment. Adult ADHD can cause significant challenges in relationships, employment, and self-esteem for people who are not adequately treated. Don't fall for the myths about ADHD. ADHD is a genetically inherited disorder.
Autistic adults can—and do—find employment, but it's not always easy. Here are important things to know as you begin your job search.
Are you worried about your autistic loved one finding employment? Here are some practical things you can do to empower them.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity can make an already challenging transition from academic settings to the workforce even more difficult. Consider these tips.
You’re overwhelmed, overworked, stressed, tired, and struggling at work. You know you need help, but have no idea how to ask for it or what it really is that you even need. Here are a few questions to consider before talking to your employer and a few suggestions on possible workplace accommodations
Offers specialized employment services for people with a variety of disabilities. Get the help you need to find & maintain meaningful employment at JVS Toronto
Some companies are starting to pay attention and are glad they did.
Being your own boss when you have ADHD can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. With some simple planning, you can tackle self-employment like a pro.
Luke, a towheaded boy on the autism spectrum, jolted upright in his seat as the director of special education, a woman in her mid-forties, announced that he was to repeat the 8th grade. Again. He gazed at me with a doe-eyed look that made my heart lurch, as if imploring Help me, Mom. I cleared […]
There is a slogan used frequently within the disability rights movement: “Nothing about us without us.” Along those lines, several people with varying and intersectional neurodiversities share what they want their employers and colleagues to know in order to best support them in the workplace.
Autistic fatigue is written by Ronnie Pinder who is a self-advocate, consultant, mentor and trainer. One of the things that […]
Introduction Chapter 1: Process-Based Learning Chapter 2: Compromised Learning Ability Chapter3: Executive Functions, ADHD, ASD, Conduct Disorder and Learning Difficulty Chapter 4: Metacognitive Strategies Chapter 5: Assessment Chapter 6: The Metacognitive Strategies/The Hairy Bikie Chapter 7: Essay Writing Chapter 8: Behaviour Management Chapter 9: Employment; About The Author
Keeping a job in today's competitive environment can be particularly difficult for people for ADHD. WebMD explains some of the workplace challenges and offers job tips for adults with ADHD.
Though individuals diagnosed with ADHD are legally protected from workplace discrimination, the answer to this question is almost always "No." Instead, we recommend taking the following steps to improve your workplace environment, tools, and accommodations on the job.
The Owl Café and Meeting Place, which opened Monday, is one of Ottawa's only social enterprises that specifically hires and trains staff and interns on the autism spectrum.
Managing ADHD in the workplace can take some finesse -- particularly for women, who may be misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or diagnosed later in life.
If you're living with ADHD, you can create a routine to help you stay on task and be productive.
Key ADHD career advice: the best job for anyone with ADHD is the one that is compelling, gratifying, and enjoyable. Learn how to match up your strengths and dreams with a job you'll love.
'I’ve taken on three people with autism so far and they’ve all flourished. One has gone on to be a paramedic and I’m really proud of that'
A few weeks ago, I had an amazing figure of 85% unemployment for aspies left on my blog in comments. I disagreed and decided to put it to the test. I did a fairly unstructured and not necessarily reliable survey and came up with the following figures; Survey Results Of the 90 respondents, 48% were employed in either full-time or part time positions and a further 26% were studying. The remaining 26% was split into 2% housewives/househusbands, 13% not looking for a job and 11% unemployment. The 11% figure is probably slightly higher than global unemployment figures but isn't significantly higher. In the graph below, the red areas indicates unemployment, blue indicates employment and green indicates study/school. It seems obvious to me that the Aspergers condition alone is not sufficient to prevent an individual from obtaining and keeping a job. What Types of Jobs can Aspies do? Probably the best thing that an aspie can do is to find work that is either related to their special interest or work which doesn't conflict with too many of the general aspie characteristics. While there is a tendency for aspies to seek jobs in computing and academic fields, there is no reason why aspies cannot be employed in lots of other areas. Special interest jobs are very good for aspies as they can often be quite innovative and can easily take on leader, designer and developer roles. Unlike their co-workers, aspies often live and breathe their special interests and therefore have a genuine interest in pursing them - rather than simply focusing on the job at hand. Low Profile jobs are good for aspies with difficult comorbid (associated) conditions or low degrees of social tolerance. Not all aspies need this but some will thrive in closed environments. Programmer and factory roles are often suitable here. There's also a great answer on Yahoo which talks about Aspergers Employment Strengths and Weaknesses. It's well worth a read. I've also found some free PDFs on helping aspies gain employment on the Berkshire Autistic Society Web Site. Some useful books on the Subject Hawkins, Gail; "How to Find work that works for people with Asperger Syndrome" Grandin, Temple; Duffy, Kate; Attwood, Tony; "Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism" Meyer, Robert N; Attwood, Tony; "Asperger Syndrome Employment Workbook: An Employment Workbook for Adults With Asperger Syndrome" If you look at the related books in Amazon, you'll find several other good titles.
