Once you have received a diagnosis of ADD, you may want to consider making or obtaining accommodations in your workplace. Accommodations are ways that you or your employer can adjust your work environment to make it easier for you to focus and be efficient at your job. Workplace accommodations include getting all of your employer's instructions in a written format or having an office with a door instead of working in an open cubicle.
You can get accommodations by either making adjustmentsto your work space and work habits on your own or asking your employer for accommodations. The more accommodations you can acquire on your own, the less you will need to disclose your ADD diagnosis to your employer.
MAKING SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
You may find that your social circle changes after you are diagnosed with ADD. You may find that you are just more comfortable with other people who have ADD. People with ADD tend to find each other - you may see someone across the room that is as fidgety as you are and you are drawn to them like a magnet. When you talk with another ADD person, neither of you notices interruptions or quick changes of topic. You feel more like your conversation "flows." You may also feel that people with ADD "get" you in a way that other people just don't. It can be a comforting and empowering feeling: finally, someone understands.
If you'd like to meet more people, try joining organizations, religious groups, or intramural sports teams, or form your own social network by meeting people in your community. Even just by attending an event, you will meet people. The saying "Eighty percent of life is just showing up" is true. By joining groups where people have similar interests, you are more likely to meet lasting friends. Adults With Adhd In The Workplace
ADD AND THE WORKPLACE
Now that you have been diagnosed with ADD, you may be wondering how it affects your job, including your relationships with your boss and coworkers. Should you tell people at the office that you have ADD? Is there anything you can do to make your job more ADD-friendly? In this post, you will learn about getting accommodations, the unwritten rules of the workplace, and how to find a job that is best suited to you.
WORKPLACE ACCOMMODATIONS
Accommodations are ways that you can adjust your environment in order to be more productive and efficient at your job. First try to make adjustments to your work space and work habits on your own. If you have tried implementing your own accommodations and still need additional help, consider talking with your employer. Workplace accommodations may be legally enforced through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This act prohibits discrimination due to a disability (including ADD).
However, to be covered under the ADA, you must disclose your disability to your employer. If you have disclosed your diagnosis, asked for reasonable accommodations, and still feel that your employer has not followed the law, first try to work with your employer directly before considering legal action. If you feel that legal recourse is your only option, keep in mind that taking legal action is a long and expensive process. You can try these accommodations in your workplace:
- Take frequent, short breaks during your workday, where you leave your desk and maybe even go outside for some fresh air.
- Replace fluorescent light bulbs. People with ADD can be more sensitive than others to the distracting buzzing sound of fluorescent.
- Take a walk during your lunch break.
- When scheduling your workday, allow extra time for meetings and other work events so you do not overbook yourself.
- Ask for an office that is relatively free from distractions. An office that is out of the main working area is ideal.
- Avoid working in a cubicle. There are too many unavoidable distractions.
- During meetings, keep your hands busy by doing something quietly, like taking notes. Concentrating your physical energy in this way (a process called concentrated distraction) makes it easier for you to focus and stay focused.
- Make sure you receive clear deadlines, and be aware of what is expected from you.
- Break large projects into smaller tasks.
- Have flexible work hours.
- Get assignments, instructions, and requests in writing - keep a "paper trail."
LEARN THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF THE WORKPLACE
In every office, there are rules that aren't written in your employee manual. An "unwritten" rule in your workplace might be that new employees sit in the back row during a meeting or that a particular administrative assistant has more influence than her boss over getting things done. You may find that you just don't catch on to these unwritten rules. The ability to figure out how to behave in situations without directly being told is called sapience. Sapience means to act with appropriate judgment. People with ADD can have quite a bit of difficulty in this area. Many workplaces have employee manuals, but it helps to know the subtle unspoken rules about how things operate.
You may be asking yourself, "How am I supposed to know that stuff?" To learn these unwritten rules, observe how other people in the office behave. When you are more comfortable in your work environment, you can ask someone "in the know" about how things are done at your office. Adults With Adhd In The Workplace
DEALING WITH COWORKER/ EMPLOYER HARASSMENT
Just as you have rights when it comes to receiving accommodations for ADD, you also have rights in regard to harassment in the workplace. It is common for people with ADD to feel picked on at work because they just don't fit in. Harassment ranges from little comments or digs made here and there, to outright attempts to sabotage you so you can be terminated from employment. Harassment also includes comments of a sexual nature and/or implying that your job is dependent on sexual favors.
Some light teasing is normal in the workplace, as long as everyone involved is okay with it. However, if you tell a coworker that something they said is hurtful or inappropriate, the teasing or harassment should stop. If that doesn't make the behavior stop, talk to your superiors. Provide documentation of the dates, times, and exact wording of conversations with this coworker or employer, including documentation of how you clearly told this person to stop the harassment.
If you are not getting relief from your employer, consider contacting the corporate headquarters of your company or seeking the advice of an attorney. Remember, legal means are a last resort due to the time, energy, and costs involved. To find out more, you can check Adults With Adhd In The Workplace.
