Should I disclose my ADHD to my employer?

Disclosing is your choice: UK law sets no duty to tell your employer you have ADHD. But they must know, or could reasonably be expected to know, before they’re legally required to make reasonable adjustments.

Start by deciding what you actually want

The first action is to be clear with yourself about the outcome you are after, because that decides whether to disclose at all. If you want practical changes to how you work, or the legal protection that comes with them, telling someone is what switches that on. If you would rather keep things private and you don’t need adjustments right now, you are entitled to say nothing. There is no wrong answer here, only the trade-off: privacy on one side, support and protection on the other.

Why disclosure is the switch: under the Equality Act 2010, an employer can defend a claim that they failed to make adjustments by showing they did not know, and could not reasonably have been expected to know, that you were disabled and likely to be put at a disadvantage Equality Act 2010, Sch.8 para 20. Telling them removes that defence. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to be covered: ADHD counts as a disability where it has a substantial, long-term effect on your normal day-to-day activities s.6. In 2025 the Employment Appeal Tribunal confirmed that an effect on even one everyday activity can be enough (Stedman v Haven Leisure Ltd [2025] EAT 82).

If you decide to tell them, do it well

You only need someone in the organisation to know, commonly HR or your line manager. You do not have to tell your whole team. Acas is clear that you can be asked for proof of a diagnosis but are not legally required to provide it Acas. Keep it simple:

1. Put it in writing, or follow a verbal conversation up by email, so there is a dated record of what you said and when.
2. Explain the impact in plain terms (for example: focus, working memory, deadlines, hyperfocus), not a clinical label.
3. Frame it around the support you need, not as a performance problem. “Here is what helps me do my best work” lands better than an apology.

If nothing changes, escalate

Once your employer knows, the duty to make reasonable adjustments is live, and refusing or ignoring a reasonable one is itself disability discrimination Acas. If you ask and get nowhere, put your request in writing again, ask for the decision and the reason in writing, and raise it as a formal grievance. Acas offers free, confidential advice, and a claim can ultimately go to an employment tribunal. You can also explore Access to Work, a government scheme that can fund support, separately from your employer.

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