Access to Work and reasonable adjustments: what ADHD workers can ask for

Two different forms of workplace support, one a legal duty on your employer and one a government grant. Neither requires a formal ADHD diagnosis to get started. Here is how each works and how to ask.

If you have ADHD, or suspect you might, two separate things can make work easier. Reasonable adjustments are a legal duty on your employer. Access to Work is a government scheme that can pay for support. People often mix them up, and you can use both.

Reasonable adjustments: your employer's duty

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers must make reasonable adjustments so that disabled workers are not substantially disadvantaged in their jobs. GOV.UK says this applies to all workers, including trainees, apprentices and contract workers. The Act covers England, Scotland and Wales, and Northern Ireland has its own rules.

The Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term negative effect on normal day-to-day activities. "Substantial" means more than minor or trivial, and "long-term" means lasting 12 months or more. ACAS says being neurodivergent will often amount to a disability under the Act. Whether it does in your case turns on how your difficulties affect you, so it is assessed individually.

ACAS also says an employer must act when it knows, or could reasonably be expected to know, that someone is disabled. It doesn't have to wait for a formal disclosure if someone is clearly having difficulty with part of their job.

What adjustments can look like

GOV.UK and ACAS give examples that include:

• ✓Changing how work is done, such as more time for tests, redistributing some tasks, or different training methods.
• ✓Flexible hours, hybrid working, phased returns, or paid time off for medical appointments.
• ✓Changes to the environment, such as adjusted lighting or a quieter, assigned desk instead of hot-desking.
• ✓Equipment and support, such as adapted equipment or one-to-one assistance.
• ✓Small practical things. ACAS's own ADHD example is someone who benefits from a printed daily itinerary and from taking notes during team briefings.

What counts as "reasonable" depends on the job, the size and resources of the employer and the cost, so treat these as ideas to raise rather than guaranteed entitlements.

How to ask

• ✓Start with a conversation with your manager or HR. ACAS recommends talking things through first rather than leaving your employer to guess.
• ✓Be specific about the difficulty and the change that would help. "I lose track of verbal instructions, so a written summary after meetings would help" is easier to act on than "I need more support."
• ✓Put the request in writing so there's a record.
• ✓If one request is declined, your employer must still consider whether other adjustments would work.
• ✓If nothing is done, ACAS can advise you on next steps, and a claim to an employment tribunal is the ultimate route.

Access to Work: a government grant

Access to Work can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability. It can pay for things like specialist equipment, assistive software, support workers and job coaches, and travel costs if you can't use public transport. A grant doesn't affect other benefits and you don't have to pay it back, though you or your employer may need to pay some costs up front and claim them back.

• ✓Who can apply: you must be 16 or over and live and work in England, Scotland or Wales. Northern Ireland has a separate scheme.
• ✓What counts as work: employment, self-employment, apprenticeships, work trials, internships and placements. Voluntary work does not count. You can apply if you're about to start or return to work within 12 weeks.
• ✓Self-employed: you'll need an annual turnover of at least £6,500. There are no income or savings limits for employed people.
• ✓Diagnosis: GOV.UK states that you do not need to be diagnosed with a condition to apply. Providers report that a diagnosis can make an application more straightforward, but it isn't a requirement.

For ADHD, coaches and clinics commonly report awards for things like ADHD coaching, task-management or dictation software, and noise-cancelling headphones. Awards are decided case by case after an assessment, so what you're offered depends on how your difficulties affect your particular job.

Looking at wider options? Our guide to ADHD support without a diagnosis covers the rest.

If you're still working out whether an assessment is right for you, our free 3-minute screener is a starting point, and our directory lists accredited private ADHD clinics across the UK.