How do I explain my support needs to a new manager?

Book a short, focused conversation first

A new manager often inherits you with no record of what was already agreed, so do not assume the old arrangements carry over. Ask your new manager for a meeting, explain how your condition affects specific tasks, and name the adjustments that would help. Under the Equality Act 2010 you can request reasonable adjustments without a diagnosis. A line like "Could we have 20 minutes to talk through how I work best and a couple of adjustments that help me?" is enough to start. Acas confirms there is no special wording or form to fill in: you can ask in a meeting, by email, or through any internal process.

Frame it around tasks, not your diagnosis

You do not have to name a condition, hand over medical records, or produce a doctor's note to explain your support needs. Assume your manager knows nothing about doing your job as a disabled or neurodivergent person, and talk in terms of the work. For each point, keep to three things:

• The task affected — for example writing up notes live in meetings, or working in a noisy open-plan area.
• The effect — what happens without support, in plain terms.
• The adjustment that helps — the agenda in advance, noise-cancelling headphones, a quiet desk, flexible start times.

Disclosure is your choice and stays voluntary. Telling your manager is what can unlock both workplace adjustments and a government Access to Work grant towards practical support, so the cost of saying yes need not fall on your manager's budget.

Get the adjustments confirmed in writing

This is the step that protects you. An employer's legal duty to make reasonable adjustments only bites once they know, or could reasonably be expected to know, about your disability. A new manager who was never briefed may genuinely not know — so putting your needs in writing both creates that knowledge and locks in the protection you had before. After the meeting, send a short email setting out what you agreed, and ask your manager to confirm it. Acas advises that the employer should put any agreed adjustments in writing, and offers a free confirmation-letter template.

Ask explicitly for previously agreed adjustments to be re-confirmed rather than assuming they transferred with you. If your manager stalls, ignores the request, or refuses without good reason, get advice from Acas. Failing to make a reasonable adjustment when the duty applies is itself unlawful disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, so a written record matters if things go wrong.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.