Workplace adjustments start with a better conversation.
ADHD Awareness Month is an opportunity to move beyond assumptions and make it easier for people to do their best work.
Yep, we said it – workplace adjustments do not have to be a big, complicated thing. They are often talked about through the lens of policy, privacy and cost. All important considerations, of course. But many of the changes that make a real difference are simple, practical and low-cost. The harder part is making it easier for people to say what helps, and for managers to feel confident listening.
For ADHD Awareness Month, we invited GSA staff and associates with lived experience of ADHD, or a close connection to it, to share anonymous reflections on work, adjustments and inclusion.
Their answers were different in the ways that matter. There is no single ADHD experience, and no one adjustment that will work for everyone. But some themes came through clearly – trust, flexibility, clearer communication and feeling safe enough to ask for support.
That matters well beyond ADHD. When workplaces make space to talk openly about barriers and ways of working, more people have the chance to contribute and do their best work.
Many adjustments are simply good workplace practice.
This is not just a nice idea. In a 2026 survey of 2,221 employers, Jobs and Skills Australia found that flexible working arrangements, job redesign and workstation modifications were among the most common workplace adjustments reported. The report noted that these changes can often involve minimal cost. Of the employers who had made adjustments, 68% said they were available to all staff.
The point is not to create a standard package of adjustments and hope it suits everyone. It is to build good, accessible ways of working into the everyday, and to make individual conversations easier when someone needs something different.
Here are five practical places to start.
1. Focus on the outcome, not one fixed process.
Many contributors spoke about the difference it makes to be trusted to approach work in a way that works for them, while still meeting expectations, deadlines and quality standards.
“Trust, flexibility, and a focus on outcomes rather than process have made a real difference for me.”
Depending on the role, this could look like flexibility around start and finish times, the order work is completed, the option to work from home, or less unnecessary micromanagement. It might also mean time to prepare for a meeting or think through a response before being put on the spot.
This is not about lowering expectations. It is about removing barriers so people can meet expectations and show what they can do.
2. Put it in writing, not just in a conversation.
Clear communication came through strongly in the responses. Not because communication needs to be over-simplified, but because it takes effort to interpret what is expected, remember every detail of a verbal conversation or work out which task needs attention first.
Following meetings with key points, decisions and due dates can help. So can being clear about priorities, giving instructions in manageable stages, leaving room for notes and offering a written alternative to a verbal conversation when that works better for someone.
“Speaking clearly and requesting tasks clearly, or following up lengthy conversations with dot points or an opportunity to write notes.”
It is a small practice with a wide benefit. It can reduce misunderstandings, make handovers easier and give everyone something clear to come back to.
3. Make room for different environmental needs.
Sometimes what helps is not a major change. It might be the option to use headphones, work in a quieter space, reduce unnecessary background noise, have a physical list to work from, or turn off the camera during an online meeting.
The answer will not be the same for everyone, and not every option will work in every role. But having some flexibility around everyday working conditions can make a real difference to focus, energy and participation.
The common thread in the reflections we received was not a particular item or rule. It was permission: the sense that someone could ask for what helps without being judged or made to feel difficult.
4. Check in. Do not just tick the box.
An adjustment should not be a one-off administrative decision that is then forgotten. Needs can change with a role, workload, team or someone’s circumstances. Something that sounds helpful in theory might need to be refined once it is put into practice.
One contributor put it plainly:
“It would also help to check in after a change is made to see whether it’s actually helping, and be open to trying something different if it isn’t.”
Routine check-ins create room for that conversation. They also take the pressure off people to have the perfect answer from the start. Sometimes the most useful way forward is to try a small change, learn from it and adjust together.
5. Make support easier to access before someone has to ask.
The most inclusive workplaces do not wait for a person to disclose a diagnosis or reach a point of overwhelm before thinking about access.
Clear ways of working, flexible communication options, predictable processes and a culture where people can ask questions benefit everyone. They also make it easier for someone to raise a specific barrier or request support when they need it.
This does not replace individual adjustments. It makes the conversation easier. It shifts the focus away from proving a need and towards working together on what will help.
Confidence matters as much as policy.
Policies and formal processes matter. But a policy on its own will not guarantee that someone feels safe asking for support, or that a manager feels confident responding.
Inclusion shows up in the everyday: how managers set expectations, how teams communicate, whether people are trusted, and whether a request for support is treated as a problem or as a practical conversation.
For organisations that want to make progress, the next step does not need to be perfect. Start by creating the conditions for an open conversation. Ask what helps. Focus on barriers rather than assumptions. Try practical changes, then check whether they are working.
That is how adjustments become part of a workplace where more people can contribute, belong and do their best work.
Build your team’s confidence.
Get Skilled Access (GSA) delivers tailored disability inclusion training that helps organisations build the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to create more accessible and inclusive workplaces. Our approach combines professional expertise with lived experience, and focuses on the real conversations and practical actions that make inclusion part of everyday work.
Have questions? We’re ready to help
Get in touch now
I understand that my data will be hold securely in accordance with the Privacy Policy