ADHD, Overwhelm, and the Workplace: Why 78% of Neurodivergent Employees Are Struggling

As an HR professional for over 25 years, and an undiagnosed neurodivergent woman throughout that period, I’ve seen both sides of the desk.

And I’ve seen the same worrying trend over that time.

I've seen genuinely brilliant people achieve incredible things in organisations.

But I've also seen those same people struggle - with expectations, with time, planning and organisation, with emotions and being misunderstood, with overwork and overwhelm. 

I've seen them struggling to start. And, often more destructively, I've seen them struggling to stop.

I've seen it and I've been it. 

And I'm far from alone. The 2024 Birkbeck/NiB report found 78% of neurodivergent workers feel overwhelmed at work - alongside other challenges including dealing with criticism and office politics. When workers feel unsafe to be themselves, businesses pay for it too - not just in monetary terms, but in lost creativity, productivity, and opportunity.

Rarely are the struggles to do with the actual work – certainly no more than any other group.  Sometimes behaviours don’t fit the ‘norm’ and that can get misread.  But often the biggest issue is the beliefs people hold about themselves as a result of these struggles over many years.  It’s the inner critic that nobody employed that’s causing the disruption. 

The kindest organisations may encourage people to take some time off.  Taking time out can help to reset but it doesn’t solve the root cause – or provide tangible strategies that can really help.  It’s often just kicking the can down the road. 

Individuals and businesses may lack the knowledge, awareness and resources to create coping mechanisms that enable people to help themselves.  Businesses may be very willing to make adjustments, but if the individual doesn’t know what they need, the company can’t provide it.

When you consider 3-4% of adults are estimated to have ADHD (NHS; Royal College of Psychiatrists), and around half of those are undiagnosed, it is no wonder that businesses find it difficult to effectively support difference.  Many are only just beginning to be uncovered and understood - if at all.

Thankfully, those strategies are often simple once you find them. For individuals, it's about living more mindfully, understanding themselves, and being able to clearly articulate what could help. For managers and businesses, it's about building trusting relationships, understanding, and offering flexibility in how people are allowed to work.

And it works: when tailored adjustments are in place, willingness to stay rises from 17% to 49%. But adjustments only work if people are able to understand what they need, and that's exactly where targeted coaching makes the difference.

That’s why I started Reasonably Adjusted.

Coaching can help ADHD and other neurodivergent talent to help themselves, understand their strengths, create effective strategies and ask for support to  enable them to feel positive about themselves.  ADHD-Informed Workplace Support can help line managers and businesses with the education and confidence to help understand and support those individuals on a deeper level.

I genuinely believe there has to be a better way – and I am ready to help find it.