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Creating a Neuroinclusive Workplace: A How To Guide for Employers

This blog provides a practical guide for employers and senior leaders to understand their legal duties, strengthen company culture, and unlock the potential of neurodivergent talent.


One in five of your employees is likely neurodivergent. That includes people with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and a range of other conditions that affect how people think, communicate, and work. (see sources 1, 2, 3, 5)


Most of them have spent years adapting to workplaces that were not designed with them in mind. Many have never disclosed. Some do not have a formal diagnosis. And a growing number are reaching a point where they cannot sustain masking, which can result in burnout, disengagement and performance concerns.



The good news is that building a neuroinclusive workplace is not about overhauling everything. It is mostly about doing the essentials of management better: being clearer, more consistent, and more deliberate about how your workplace actually runs.

This guide covers the language, the law, what good looks like across the employee lifecycle, and what recent tribunal cases are telling employers right now. If you want your managers to handle this with confidence, there is a practical neurodiversity workplace toolkit and training option at the end.


 

Start With the Language

Getting the terminology right matters more than you might think. Use the wrong word with an employee or a union rep and you lose credibility before the conversation has started. It also signals to neurodivergent employees whether you genuienlly care about understanding their experience.

Here are the four terms you and your managers should feel confident using:

 

•       Neurodiversity is the natural variation in how human brains work. It includes everyone. Use it when you are talking about human variation in general.

•       Neurodivergent describes a person whose brain works differently from what society treats as typical. This includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and others. Use it when talking about individuals.

•       Neurodiverse is best used to describe a group or team, not an individual. A team can be neurodiverse. A person cannot.

•       Neuroinclusive describes the environment, culture, and systems that actively include different neurotypes. Use it when talking about what your business is building.

 


A simple rule of thumb for managers: if you are talking about a person, say neurodivergent. If you are talking about a team, say neurodiverse. If you are talking about what you are building, say neuroinclusive.

This is not pedantry. Language shapes how people feel about whether they belong in your workplace. And belonging turns inclusion from policy into lived experience, and that is what keeps people, talent, and potential inside your organisation.

 

Why This Is Not Just a Wellbeing Issue

Neuroinclusion is sometimes framed as a kindness initiative. It is not. It sits right in the middle of several things that directly affect business performance and legal risk.

 

•       Around 15 to 20 percent of UK adults are neurodivergent, roughly 10 million people. (see sources 1, 7)

•       Only 16 to 22 percent of autistic adults in the UK are in full-time employment, compared with 83 percent of non-disabled people. (see source 8)

•       Just 31 percent of people with a neurodiversity condition are in employment, compared to 54.7 percent of disabled people overall. (see source 8)

•       20 percent of neurodivergent employees have experienced harassment or discrimination at work because of their neurodivergence. (see sources 1, 8)

•       50 percent of neurodivergent individuals report facing discrimination during recruitment. (see sources 2, 8)

•       Over 50 percent of neurodivergent employees have taken time off work because of their neurodivergence. (see sources 1, 3)

 

When neuroinclusion is handled well, businesses spend less time on avoidable conflict and reactive case management. One piece of ACAS research highlighted a small business that proactively built neuroinclusion into its culture and reduced staff turnover to 8 percent, against a national average of 34 percent. (see source 3)


When it is handled badly, the potential for tribunal claims increases. More on those shortly.

Neuroinclusion also touches every part of people management: from recruitment, onboarding, day-to-day management, to performance, retention, and exits. It is not a standalone initiative. It is how you manage people well.

 

 

What Neuroinclusion Looks Like Across the Employee Lifecycle

A neuroinclusive workplace is not a single policy or a one-off training session. It is a set of consistent practices that reduce barriers at each stage of employment. Here is what that looks like in practice.

 

Recruitment: Better Hiring Starts With Clearer Processes

Most recruitment processes reward confidence, quick social processing, and the ability to read unspoken expectations. None of those things are reliable predictors of job performance. They do, however, create legal risk.

Neuroinclusive recruitment is also just better recruitment. Practical steps include:

 

•       Write job adverts around outcomes, not vague traits like 'dynamic' or 'people person'.

•       Be clear about what is essential and what is nice to have.

•       Share interview questions or topics in advance.

•       Offer alternatives to complex online application forms where reasonable.

•       Use work-sample tasks that mirror the actual job, with clear instructions.

•       Develop interviewers awareness of unconscious bias, perceived alignment with team norms and halo bias.

 

The legal case AECOM Ltd v Mallon established that an employer had an obligation to make reasonable adjustments for a job applicant with dyspraxia, because their standard online application process put him at a substantial disadvantage. The tribunal found that AECOM had constructive knowledge of the disadvantage because it ought to have contacted Mr Mallon for more information given his documented difficulty with written communication. (see source 10)

That is a useful benchmark. If someone has indicated they have a condition that might affect how they apply, the duty to make adjustments does not wait until they are employed.

 

Onboarding: Make the Unwritten Rules Visible

Onboarding is where hidden expectations create quick failure. Many neurodivergent employees can do the job well but struggle with ambiguous norms, unspoken social rules, and unclear priorities.

Practical adjustments at onboarding stage:

 

•       Provide a written 'how we work here' guide that goes beyond policies. Explain how decisions are made, who to go to for what, and how to raise concerns.

•       Use checklists and simple process maps for key tasks.

•       Schedule regular early check-ins, then taper as confidence grows.

•       After each meeting, send a short follow-up with what was agreed and what happens next.

•       Confirm priorities in writing, not just in conversation.

 

None of this is complicated. Most of it is good management practice that benefits every new starter, not just neurodivergent ones.

 

Day-to-Day Management: Clarity and Consistency Beat Charisma

Most of the difference between a neuroinclusive workplace and one that is not, comes down to how managers do ordinary things: delegate tasks, set deadlines, run meetings, and give feedback.

On delegation:

 

•       Explain what 'done' looks like, with examples where helpful.

•       Break larger tasks into stages with agreed check-in points.

•       Reduce multi-channel noise. One source of truth for actions and priorities.

 

On meetings:

 

•       Share the agenda and purpose in advance.

•       Facilitate clearly so one person speaks at a time.

•       Offer options to contribute in writing, not just verbally.

•       Send decisions and actions in writing afterwards.

 

These are not special adjustments for neurodivergent employees. They are good management behaviours that improve clarity and accountability for everyone.


 

Performance Management: Fair Does Not Mean Identical

A common management trap is treating fairness as identical treatment. It is not. Neuroinclusive performance management means holding clear, consistent standards while also removing barriers that prevent someone from meeting them.

In practice that means:

 

•       Making expectations explicit: quality, pace, priorities, and behaviours.

•       Identifying barriers before escalating: is this a capability issue or a process, environment, or communication issue?

•       Agreeing specific adjustments, recording them, and reviewing them.

•       Giving feedback that is calm, specific, and focused on outcomes and behaviours rather than style.

 

Many managers have never been taught how to do this consistently. That is where training makes a practical difference.

 

Retention, Wellbeing, and Exits

In workplaces that are not neuroinclusive, predictable patterns emerge: burnout from constant masking, misunderstandings that escalate into conflict, performance problems that are really process problems, and increased absence, grievance, and turnover.

Even with good intentions, one in three neurodivergent employees remains dissatisfied with the support they receive from their employer. (see source 8) The gap between policy and lived experience is usually a management capability gap.

And when things do go wrong and an employee exits, how that process was handled will matter to any tribunal that looks at it.

 

 

Reasonable Adjustments: What You Need in Place

You do not need a perfect system. You need a usable one. The Equality Act 2010 requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees, and neurodivergent conditions may qualify as disabilities under that definition.

A workable adjustments process includes:

 

•       A clear, simple way for employees to request adjustments.

•       A structured conversation guide for managers so they know what to ask and what to record.

•       A written record of what has been agreed.

•       Agreed review dates.

•       Clarity on what happens if performance issues continue after adjustments have been made.

 

Note: this is general guidance, not legal advice. For complex or high-risk situations, take case-specific advice. The HR Hero offers SOS calls for exactly this kind of situation.

 

 

What Recent Tribunal Cases Are Teaching Employers

Cases do not replace good HR practice. But they do show what tribunals look for in the real world: knowledge, process, evidence, and whether adjustments were actually tried. Here are three recent UK cases that are worth understanding.

 

Khorram v Capgemini UK plc (2025): ADHD and Reasonable Adjustments

The Employment Tribunal found that Capgemini had failed to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010. Ms Khorram's ADHD was accepted as a disability. The tribunal found five adjustments that had not been implemented, including ADHD awareness training for her manager and colleagues, realistic and achievable task-setting to prevent overwhelm, and time management training. (see sources 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

The failure to implement those adjustments constituted a continuing act of discrimination. (see source 11)

The takeaway: Do not park recommended adjustments as nice ideas. If they are reasonable, implement them, record them, and review them. Consider whether manager awareness training is part of the adjustment itself.

Kitchen Porter awarded £25k in disability discrimination claim.

A kitchen porter used his 20% staff discount to pay for a family meal. He saved £19.17. What he didn’t realise was that the discount policy applied to a maximum of four people, not seven.

What followed wasn’t a quiet clarification. It was disciplinary hearings. Allegations of gross misconduct. Escalation.

The employee, who is autistic, experienced significant stress and anxiety and ultimately went off sick. He later brought a disability discrimination claim, and was awarded £25,000.

The tribunal found that he had not acted dishonestly. The reaction from the employer was deemed disproportionate.

This wasn’t about £19.17.

It was about judgement. Context. Proportionality. And understanding neurodivergence.

For neurodivergent employees, particularly autistic staff, rules are often taken seriously, but nuance, unwritten expectations, or informal interpretations may not be as clear. A misunderstanding of policy is not the same as misconduct. Intent matters. Context matters. Impact matters.

 


Burns v Gitpod (2024): Team Events and Investigation Standards

A senior employee with ADHD was dismissed following an incident on a team-building trip. The tribunal found that her claims for failure to make reasonable adjustments and discrimination arising from disability both succeeded. The judge found that the behaviour at the centre of the dismissal was likely partly a result of her ADHD. (see source 17)

The takeaway: Offsite events are workplace activities. The same duty of care and the same standard of fair, evidence-based process applies. If disability may be relevant to a disciplinary situation, investigate properly before drawing conclusions.

 

 

 

The Five Management Behaviours That Make the Biggest Difference

If your managers only change five things, make them these:

 

•       Reduce ambiguity. Put priorities in writing. Define what good looks like. Avoid 'use your initiative' without context or boundaries.

•       Make feedback predictable. No surprise 'can you chat later?' messages. Explain the purpose and topic beforehand. Confirm actions in writing afterwards.

•       Standardise the basics. Neuroinclusion becomes easier when managers are not each inventing their own approach. Consistent one-to-ones, consistent delegation, consistent meeting norms, consistent adjustments process.

•       Design environments, not personalities. If your workplace relies on constant noise, urgency, and switching, you will lose good people. Think about communication, workload flow, and sensory factors.

•       Make it safe to ask for support. Keep requests simple. Be clear about confidentiality. Respond promptly. Train managers to respond calmly and practically rather than defensively.

 

 

Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2026: 16 to 20 March

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a useful moment to build visible momentum inside your organisation. In 2026 it runs from 16 to 20 March.

The mistake to avoid is running a celebration week with posters and emails while leaving every system unchanged. If you want it to be meaningful, use the week to start something that carries on.

Practical things to do during neurodiversity celebration week:

 

•       Run a short internal campaign on terminology, using the definitions above.

•       Offer managers a brief session on clear communication and feedback.

•       Review one recruitment step for unnecessary barriers.

•       Publish a simple, visible process for requesting adjustments.

•       Start the conversation about what neuroinclusive management actually looks like in your organisation.

 

 

Ready to Build a Neuroinclusive Workplace?

If you want to give your managers the tools to handle this consistently and confidently, there are two ways The HR Hero can help.

 

The Neuroinclusive Workplace Toolkit gives you everything you need to get the basics right straight away. It includes a neuroinclusive policy template, a tailored adjustments plan template, a good practice guide, and a bitesize training video. It is designed for business owners and managers who want a practical starting point without having to build everything from scratch.

 

Neuroinclusive Workplace Training is available for managers and HR teams who want to go further. It covers language and definitions, practical adjustments and how to record them, meeting and delegation systems, recruitment and onboarding improvements, psychological safety, and what tribunals actually look for. It works well as a workshop or away day.

 

To find out more about either option, email support@thehrhero.co.uk or visit thehrhero.co.uk.

You can also call Kate directly on 07704 037136.

 

 

Note: This blog post is general guidance and is not legal advice. For advice on a specific situation, contact Kate at The HR Hero.

 

 

Sources

 

2. Indeed Hiring Lab UK (2025). Neurodiversity Inclusive Postings Are Rising, but Untapped Talent Remains. Available at: https://www.hiringlab.org/uk/blog/2025/02/27/neurodiversity-inclusive-postings-are-rising/

 

3. ACAS (2025). Acas report on neurodiversity: all workplaces can be inclusive. Available at: https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/acas-research-neurodiversity-workplace-inclusion/

 

4. GOV.UK (2025). Employment prospects for neurodiverse people set to be boosted with launch of new expert panel. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/employment-prospects-for-neurodiverse-people-set-to-be-boosted-with-launch-of-new-expert-panel

 

5. British Psychological Society (2025). Neurodiversity at work. Available at: https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/neurodiversity-work

 

6. Farrer & Co (2024). Neurodiversity: overcoming barriers in recruitment. Available at: https://www.farrer.co.uk/news-and-insights/neurodiversity-overcoming-barriers-in-recruitment/

 

7. Lexxic (2024). CIPD Neuro-inclusion at Work Report 2024. Available at: https://lexxic.com/research/march-2024

 

8. City & Guilds Foundation (2025). Neurodiversity Index 2025. Available at: https://cityandguildsfoundation.org/what-we-offer/campaigning/neurodiversity-index/

 

9. Neurodiversity Conference UK. Neurodiversity in the Workplace Conference. Available at: https://neurodiversityconference.co.uk

 

 

11. Khorram v Capgemini UK plc (Case No. 6004705/2024). Employment Tribunal. Judgment available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6878baa6a52cca025ef5bda2/Ms_Bahar_Khorram_v_Capgemini_UK_Plc-_6004705-2024.pdf

 

12. Swinburne Maddison (2025). ADHD Discrimination Ruling: What the Khorram v Capgemini case means for employers. Available at: https://www.swinburnemaddison.co.uk/insights/article/adhd-discrimination-rulingwhat-the-khorram-v-capgemini-case-means-for-employers/

 

13. Consultancy.uk (2025). Former Capgemini technologist partially wins ADHD discrimination case. Available at: https://www.consultancy.uk/news/41192/former-capgemini-technologist-partially-wins-adhd-discrimination-case

 

14. HR Zone (2025). What the Capgemini tribunal teaches us about reasonable adjustments for neurodiverse employees. Available at: https://hrzone.com/what-the-capgemini-tribunal-teaches-us-about-reasonable-adjustments-for-neurodiverse-employees/

 

15. 42BR (2026). ADHD in the workplace: lessons for employers following tribunal. Available at: https://www.42br.com/latest-news/adhd-in-the-workplace-lessons-for-employers-following-tribunal.htm

 

 

 

 
 
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