One-third of managers unsure about neurodiversity adjustments

More than a third (35%) of HR, L&D and compliance professionals say managers in their organisation lack confidence when discussing reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent employees.

According to a survey of 495 workplace professionals by compliance eLearning provider, VinciWorks, 30% described managers as "not very confident" and 5% believed them "not confident at all."

Only 7% said managers in their organisation were "very confident" in these conversations.

The findings come as analysis of tribunal data by employment law firm Irwin Mitchell revealed that tribunal claims involving neurodiversity discrimination have risen 95% over five years.

Last year, 517 cases were recorded, up from 265 in 2020, with autism and ADHD the most commonly cited conditions.

More than half (57%) of respondents said their organisation was "neurodiversity friendly" but 28% were unsure, and 16% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Nick Henderson-Mayo, head of compliance at VinciWorks, said, "There is a pattern here that should concern HR and compliance leaders. Organisations who say they are neurodiversity-friendly should have the evidence to back this up.

"With the Employment Rights Act putting more power in the hands of workers, firms should be prepared to show a tribunal how supporting neurodiversity in principle aligns with practice."

The data suggests organisations may be measuring intent rather than outcome, rating themselves on the existence of policies rather than on whether those policies are reaching the one in seven employees who are neurodivergent.

Only 39% of organisations have delivered any neurodiversity training at all. Of those that have, only 21% have embedded it within ongoing programmes rather than treating it as a one-off exercise.

Henderson-Mayo continued, "A single standalone session is unlikely to change how a manager behaves when a neurodivergent employee comes to them with a problem. What changes behaviour is repeated exposure, practice and the confidence that comes from knowing what effective support for neurodivergent staff looks like.

"Effective training covers how to open the conversation, how to approach a needs assessment, and how to review adjustments over time. That is how employers can evidence support."

He added: "Like any workplace issue, a policy is useless on its own. It has to be backed up by strong and regular communication, training for managers and employees alike, and effective routes for accessing support. This is what an employment tribunal will look for, and we can expect to see a lot more neurodiversity at work issues being adjudicated in the future."