Put your request in writing to your manager or HR, naming ADHD and the difficulties it causes, with specific adjustments. Under the Equality Act 2010 your employer must consider them; no formal diagnosis is required.
The first step: a written request
The single most useful thing you can do is send a short, dated email or letter. Two sentences are enough to start: “I have ADHD, which affects my concentration, my working memory and how I manage deadlines. I would like to request the following reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.” Then list what you need. Writing it down matters legally as well as practically: the duty to make adjustments only bites once the employer knows, or could reasonably be expected to know, about your disability. A casual mention in a corridor is easy to forget; a dated email is the moment the clock starts.
You do not need a diagnosis to ask. Acas is explicit that employers should make reasonable adjustments whether or not a worker has a formal diagnosis, and that you are not legally required to provide proof of one. A recent Employment Appeal Tribunal decision in 2025 also confirmed that ADHD can count as a disability where it has a substantial effect on even one day-to-day activity, so do not let a long NHS waiting list stop you from asking now.
Adjustments people with ADHD commonly request:
- Flexible start times, or core hours that fit when you focus best.
- Written follow-ups after verbal instructions, and agendas before meetings.
- A quieter desk, noise-cancelling headphones, or fewer open-plan interruptions.
- Tasks broken into smaller steps with clear, agreed deadlines.
- Permission to use timers, task apps, or a body-doubling buddy.
The second step: a meeting and a review date
Ask for a short meeting to agree which adjustments will go ahead. Acas recommends a “request, talk, try and review” approach: you suggest, you discuss what is workable, you trial it, and you set a date to review whether it helped. Get the agreed adjustments and the review date confirmed in writing, so both sides know what was agreed. Acas publishes a free request-letter template and a confirmation-letter template you can adapt.
If a useful adjustment costs money, your employer does not always have to pay for everything. Access to Work, a government scheme, can fund practical support such as coaching, software or equipment. You apply yourself, not your employer. Be aware that in 2026 the scheme has a long backlog, so apply early; a sibling answer covers how an employee applies for Access to Work.
If your employer refuses
If your employer turns down a reasonable request without a good business reason, raise it as a formal grievance in writing first, as failing to make reasonable adjustments can itself be unlawful disability discrimination. If that does not resolve it, you can bring a claim to an Employment Tribunal, normally within three months of the refusal. Whether ADHD meets the legal test, and what a discrimination claim involves, are covered in the related answers on whether ADHD is classed as a disability at work and claiming disability discrimination for ADHD.
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.