Post by roland on Feb 12, 2016 13:42:36 GMT
There have been questions lately about the sort of reasonable accommodations an employer can make for those of us with ADHD so I thought I would post some information I found a while ago on the Personnel Today website : as follows (I've broken it up into smaller chunks):
Under the Equality Act 2010, an employee with ADHD may be considered to have a disability if their condition has a “substantial” and “long-term” negative effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
If this is the case, an employer is under a duty to consider making reasonable adjustments to the role in order for the employee to remain in the job.
However, an employee may not be aware of their condition meaning an employer may also be unaware. Therefore, poor performance at work may be addressed without taking into account this potential disability.
However, if an employer does have knowledge of a worker having ADHD, then there is an obligation to consider what reasonable adjustments need to be made.
There are certain roles that will be more “ADHD friendly” than others. For example, any jobs that involve moving around rather than sitting at a desk all day; however, any position could consider making the following adjustments:
•working flexibly, possibly at home, to avoid distractions in the workplace;
•using headphones to muffle sounds;
•facing a desk away from busy areas in the office;
•working on particular tasks or projects for a shorter period of time and then going back to them later when the employee feels less distracted;
•encouraging the use of notes in meetings so that there is a clear record of what is discussed and any comments they have can be submitted, rather than shouting them out in meetings;
•promoting the use of team working so that all skills are utilised and those employees who may find organisation more difficult can be used in different areas for different tasks;
•structuring the working day so that there is a clear plan to follow;
•providing appropriate supervision to support the employee and help them manage their time; and
•allowing employees to delegate work where appropriate, for example dictating documents that are then typed up by someone else.
Employees with ADHD, however, often have above-average creativity and intelligence levels and can be an invaluable resource to any business, especially in roles where creative flair and being able to “think outside the box” are key skills.
Employers should be aware that staff members may be suffering from ADHD and must identify how they can work together to develop coping strategies to help harness the skills of employees with the condition.
Employees with attention deficit disorder: practical and legal tips. By Pam Loch and Julie Edmonds on 1 Dec 2014 in Disability, Disability discrimination, Discrimination, Reasonable adjustments
Under the Equality Act 2010, an employee with ADHD may be considered to have a disability if their condition has a “substantial” and “long-term” negative effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
If this is the case, an employer is under a duty to consider making reasonable adjustments to the role in order for the employee to remain in the job.
However, an employee may not be aware of their condition meaning an employer may also be unaware. Therefore, poor performance at work may be addressed without taking into account this potential disability.
However, if an employer does have knowledge of a worker having ADHD, then there is an obligation to consider what reasonable adjustments need to be made.
There are certain roles that will be more “ADHD friendly” than others. For example, any jobs that involve moving around rather than sitting at a desk all day; however, any position could consider making the following adjustments:
•working flexibly, possibly at home, to avoid distractions in the workplace;
•using headphones to muffle sounds;
•facing a desk away from busy areas in the office;
•working on particular tasks or projects for a shorter period of time and then going back to them later when the employee feels less distracted;
•encouraging the use of notes in meetings so that there is a clear record of what is discussed and any comments they have can be submitted, rather than shouting them out in meetings;
•promoting the use of team working so that all skills are utilised and those employees who may find organisation more difficult can be used in different areas for different tasks;
•structuring the working day so that there is a clear plan to follow;
•providing appropriate supervision to support the employee and help them manage their time; and
•allowing employees to delegate work where appropriate, for example dictating documents that are then typed up by someone else.
Employees with ADHD, however, often have above-average creativity and intelligence levels and can be an invaluable resource to any business, especially in roles where creative flair and being able to “think outside the box” are key skills.
Employers should be aware that staff members may be suffering from ADHD and must identify how they can work together to develop coping strategies to help harness the skills of employees with the condition.
Employees with attention deficit disorder: practical and legal tips. By Pam Loch and Julie Edmonds on 1 Dec 2014 in Disability, Disability discrimination, Discrimination, Reasonable adjustments