Webinar: ADHD Safe Work – More than just noise cancelling headphones with Catherine Lee
Every employer knows that if a job candidate or employee discloses that they have a disability, then the employer must make reasonable adjustments to help them perform in the job. So if someone says they have ADHD you just give them a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, right? Because that’s what we did for the last guy with ADHD and he was happy with that.
But what happens if the disability is a mental health or neurodivergent condition, such as ADHD and the candidate or employee does not tell their employer?
What happens if the candidate or employee does not know they have ADHD?
What if the candidate or employee knows they have ADHD but does not consider it to be a disability as far as their work is concerned?
Most adults with ADHD do not disclose their condition to their employer because they either fear discrimination and judgement or because they do not believe it affects their work performance and so they should not have to disclose their own personal medical information. And who can blame them?
Much of the current advice provided to adults with ADHD in relation to telling their employer is:
1) Here are some tips and tricks about how you can perform effectively at work; and
2) Here are the pros and cons of disclosing to your employer. But think carefully about it. It’s probably best not to if you think you don’t think your employer will be accomodating.
In this webinar, presented as part of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association webinar series, Catherine explains some of the barriers to disclosure, the problems that non-disclosure can cause for both the worker and the employer, and introduces the Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative, which has been established to make workplaces safe, healthy and inclusive for neurodiverse workers.
Learning Objectives of the ADHD Safe Work Webinar:
- Learn about “The Vicious Cycle of Non- Disclosure” and why it’s a problem for adults with ADHD and their employers
- Learn why reasonable adjustments like noise-cancelling headphones may not go far enough to ensure worker safety
- Learn two approaches employers can adopt to create work that is safe, healthy and inclusive for everyone, even their ADHD workers who may not need noise cancelling headphones!