Neurodiversity at Work: How Can Employers Create a Neuroinclusive Workplace?

Neurodiversity is becoming a hot topic in life and at work. ‘Neurodivergent’ is an umbrella term for people with a mind that ‘diverges’ from what is typical, which can include conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and more.

Often, neurodivergent people work best in different ways than neurotypical people (whose minds function in the way that society deems ‘normal’). As more people become aware of their neurodiversity, employers must review their practices to ensure they can support any alternative needs. With 15-20% of the UK population thought to be neurodivergent, employers need to consider their policies to ensure they meet the needs of their employees.

Neurodivergent employees can provide many benefits to the workplace. A neurodiverse team has several advantages, including:

• Innovation: Neurodiverse teams can bring a variety of perspectives and ways of thinking to a team.
• Problem solving: Some neurodivergent people have a talent for seeing patterns and connections, giving them great ideas for solutions to complex problems.
• Attention to detail: Many neurodivergent people can ‘hyperfocus’ on tasks, allowing them to complete work to the highest standard.
• Productivity: Employers have found that their neurodivergent employees are up to 140% more productive than neurotypical employees.
• Information processing: Research has found that autistic employees in particular have a high capacity for processing information and detecting important information.

Employees never have to disclose or provide evidence of their neurodivergence. You cannot ask an employee if they are neurodivergent, but you can ask questions to determine if they might need adjustments in place.

Many neurodivergent people are considered disabled and are protected by the Equality Act 2010. Employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments if they know, or ought to know, that an employee is disabled and this is liable to affect them at work. Employers must take steps to make these adjustments as soon as it is reasonable to do so.

Employers should be careful to not to make comments which could be discriminatory, like those designed to make employees feel bad or pressured because of their neurodivergence. Management can avoid aiming criticism at the employee’s disability by first considering the impact of neurodivergence on any performance issues. If you learn of an employee’s neurodivergence later, you may want to omit previous criticism of issues that can be attributed to this from the employee’s record.

Different employees will require different adjustments based on their individual needs, including:

• Management support: Regular meetings with their line manager to discuss any issues or their workload might help employees manage their schedule.
• Comfort breaks: Giving employees the chance to take additional (or more spread out) breaks to allow rest or light exercise can aid focus.
• Physical adjustments: Adjustments to the office space can help improve focus, for instance providing adjustable lighting or quiet zones. Employees might also benefit from noise-cancelling headphones or a standing desk.
• Time off: Employees might need to take time out from work occasionally to attend medical appointments due to their disability.
• Coaching: 1-2-1 coaching can help develop long-term coping strategies.
• Flexible working: Neurodivergent employees may prefer to work from home or vary their start/finish times sometimes to fit their needs.

Employers should work with employees to determine what level of support is needed to alleviate their struggles.

Inclusivity goes beyond individuals—companies should work on creating a neuroinclusive workplace in all respects, where neurodivergent people can feel comfortable from the start.

• Neurodiversity policies: This can help employers keep consistent inclusion standards, and outline what support is available to employees and how they plan to maintain a neuroinclusive organisation.
• Management support: Neurodiversity training and providing managers with the time and tools to support neurodivergent employees is vital. This includes easy access to HR and occupational health if advice is needed.
• Make neurodivergent voices part of the conversation: Many neurodivergent individuals share similar struggles and can provide input on creating an inclusive environment.
• Ensure employees know what support is available: Some research has suggested that 65% of neurodivergent people still fear discrimination from management, so management should make it clear that they will be supported at work.
• Reconsidering recruitment: Being aware of what challenges neurodivergent people face in recruitment and making the process accessible will encourage neurodivergent people to apply for roles, and encourage disclosure at the application stage.
• Consider the wider issues: Adapting the workplace generally to be neuroinclusive will help neurodivergent employees to feel accepted and supported at work.