Supporting an employee with ADHD who’s struggling at work can feel like a balancing act. You’re responsible for keeping things running smoothly, but you also want to be fair and understanding, especially when neurodivergence like ADHD is part of the picture.
Below we cover how ADHD might be affecting your employee’s work, how to raise it without making assumptions, and what you can do about it. It should also help you work out whether you’re dealing with a performance issue, a capability issue, an organisational problem or a need for adjustments.
Understanding how ADHD can affect work
ADHD isn’t just about being easily distracted. The NHS overview of ADHD in adults describes how it can affect organisation, time and attention. At work, it can influence:
- Focus and attention span
- Memory and organisation
- Managing time and meeting deadlines
- Emotional regulation
- Starting or finishing tasks, especially when they feel overwhelming or boring
People with ADHD often work extra hard to mask their challenges, so what you’re seeing may only be part of the picture. It has nothing to do with laziness. Their brain simply works differently. Our guide to ADHD in the workplace covers the strengths and challenges in more depth.
Step 1: Start with something specific
Instead of asking “How are you doing?”, try a gentle, concrete observation.
Try this:
“I’ve noticed over the last couple of weeks that a few deadlines have slipped, and it looks like some tasks have got stuck. I’d love to chat about whether anything’s making things harder at the moment.”
This opens the door without sounding accusatory. How feedback lands matters too, as our article on when feedback feels like rejection explains.
Step 2: Explore what’s going on
Be curious, but specific. ADHD can make open-ended questions stressful. Try:
- “Are there particular tasks that feel harder to start or finish?”
- “Is anything in the environment making it hard to concentrate?”
- “Would it help to break the task into smaller steps or use reminders?”
You’re trying to find out what’s getting in the way, rather than what’s “wrong” with them.
Step 3: Figure out the underlying issue
What looks like a performance problem often turns out to be something else. It usually falls into one of four categories.
Organisational
Things like unclear tasks, lack of routine, no reminders, or constantly shifting priorities.
Capability
Even with effort, they may find working memory, time estimation, or certain systems harder, especially without the right tools in place.
Performance
Despite support and adjustments, the work still doesn’t meet expectations.
Adjustment needed
They may just need a different way of working, like more structure, flexibility, or tools.
Getting this right before any formal process starts matters. Acas guidance on performance and capability recommends putting support in place first, and our article on an ADHD probation dismissal tribunal shows what can happen when this step is skipped.
Step 4: Make some practical reasonable adjustments
Once you’ve identified the barrier, here are some things that often help employees with ADHD:
- Written task lists with time estimates
- Daily or weekly planning check-ins
- Clear expectations for what “done” looks like
- Tools like Trello, Notion, or Microsoft Planner
- Timers, fidget items, or music to help with focus
- Colour-coded calendars and visible deadlines
- Flexible working hours or quiet spaces for deep focus
Start small. Introduce one or two, then check in again. For more ideas, see our reasonable adjustment examples for managers, and read why every office needs a quiet area.
Step 5: A real-life example
Let’s say your employee, James, is great in meetings and full of ideas, but always late with written reports.
You say:
“James, your ideas have been so valuable, but I’ve noticed reports are often delayed. Is there anything about the process that feels hard to manage?”
James says he often loses track of time and finds it hard to sit down and start writing.
You agree to:
- Add report deadlines to the team calendar
- Break the task into parts (notes due Wednesday, draft due Friday)
- Set up a 15-minute writing sprint with a colleague
Within a few weeks, James is more consistent. He feels supported, and the quality of his work stays high.
Step 6: What if they haven’t disclosed their ADHD?
You don’t need a diagnosis to offer support. If someone’s struggling with focus, planning, or task completion, try normalising adjustments for everyone.
You could say:
“We’re looking at ways to make working easier for the whole team. I’d love to know if things like clearer instructions, extra planning time, or written reminders would help.”
This makes it about team culture, not individual issues.
Step 7: Not sure what counts as a reasonable adjustment?
If you’re unsure whether something counts as a reasonable adjustment, or how to follow up, you don’t have to work it out alone. Our Neurodiversity Advisory Line gives managers direct access to a neurodiversity specialist for one-to-one advice, help telling a capability issue apart from an adjustment need, and a space to talk through real examples so you feel confident.
Final thoughts
ADHD can make some parts of work harder. With the right systems in place, though, your employee has a much better chance of doing well and bringing their strengths to the team.
You don’t need to be an expert. Start the conversation, expect some trial and error, and get help if you need it. Small changes can stop someone burning out.
How Enna can help
Performance conversations about ADHD are hard to get right without some practice. Our neuroinclusive performance management training covers setting goals, giving feedback and recognising when an adjustment is needed. If you want a closer look at one person’s situation, a workplace needs assessment will identify the adjustments most likely to help, and workplace coaching gives employees with ADHD time to work out strategies that suit them.
If you’d like to talk through what you’re dealing with, book a call with our team or email hello@enna.org.
