Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can present some challenges, however, employees in Idaho and around the nation can enjoy successful careers when provided with the right accommodations. If you are an employee with ADHD and want to get accommodations put in place to make work manageable, you should take the steps outlined below.
Talk with your manager
Because ADHD can make it difficult to focus in typical office environments where there are many people working, you should speak with your manager about accommodations that can help you. Federal employment law dictates that managers must provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities to make it possible for them to perform the functions of their job. Employees are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
What is the ADA?
The ADA prohibits employment discrimination based on disability. Title I of the ADA dictates that employers who have fifteen or more employees accommodate persons with disabilities unless it would cause undue hardship on the company. Qualified employees with disabilities must be given the same privileges to participate in all employment opportunities that are available to everyone else in the company. This law requires that employees with disabilities not face discrimination during recruitment, hiring, training, promotions, social activities, pay or any other aspect of employment.
What accommodations to try
There are a whole host of accommodations you can try, and sometimes, you may have to experiment with many of them before you find something that works. Some accommodations include:
- Requesting your own private office space
- Asking to work in unused space when needing to complete tasks that require significant processing
- Putting in an accommodation to work remotely
- Asking your supervisor to provide frequent feedback
- Requesting an administrative assistant to help you doublecheck administrative tasks to make sure they are done correctly
Each company has a different procedure for getting accommodations in place. Check with your manager about which procedures you need to follow.
