Redundancy is never easy. But when the process involves someone with ADHD, there can be another layer for HR teams and line managers to consider. Understanding ADHD reasonable adjustments in the workplace can help make the redundancy process clearer, fairer and more accessible for the person affected.
In a recent episode of the Redundancy Matters podcast, I spoke with Julia Crawford, founder of People Pillar, experienced HR Director and ADHD coach. Julia brings together more than 20 years’ HR experience, her work supporting small businesses through people challenges and her own lived experience of ADHD.
As Julia shared, her own diagnosis came around two years ago and helped “so much make sense.” It also changed how she looked back at some of the workplace issues she had seen throughout her HR career.
That lens is particularly important when we think about redundancy.
Because while redundancy is a process, it is never just a process. As Julia put it: “Yes, you have to go through those stages but how we do it makes all the difference.”
Understanding ADHD in the workplace
One of the strongest messages from our conversation was that ADHD in the workplace doesn’t look the same for everyone.
Julia said: “If you meet one person with ADHD, you’ve just met one person with ADHD.”
Some people may struggle with prioritising, timekeeping, deadlines or attention to detail. Others may experience hyperfocus, creativity, energy and different ways of thinking. And many people will have spent years masking, holding things together in public while using huge amounts of energy to do so.
That is why assumptions can be so unhelpful.
What may be labelled as laziness, disorganisation or lack of effort may have something else sitting underneath it. As we discussed in the episode, it is about bringing curiosity rather than deciding, “I’ve labelled this person as being lazy. That’s the box I’m going to fit them in.”
That shift matters in any workplace situation. But it matters even more when decisions could affect someone’s role, future and confidence.
Why redundancy can feel different
Redundancy is emotional for most people.
Julia has seen this from both sides. She joked that she was “being a bit sad” one day, thinking about how many restructures and redundancy situations she had been involved in during her career. Easily more than 100.
And yet, when she went through redundancy herself, it still hurt.
As she said: “Even though I instigated it, it still hurt. It still felt quite personal.”
That is something I hear often. Redundancy can be a relief for some people and devastating for others. We can never fully predict how someone will respond because we do not know what else is happening in their life.
For someone with ADHD, parts of the process may be particularly difficult. They may need more time to process information. They may find it harder to respond on the spot. They may struggle with long documents, unclear next steps, tight deadlines or emotionally charged meetings.
Julia also talked about rejection sensitive dysphoria, or RSD, and how some people with ADHD may take criticism, or perceived criticism, very personally.
So when we think about ADHD and redundancy, this is not about avoiding difficult conversations. It is about handling them with care.
Reasonable adjustments during redundancy
One of Julia’s clearest pieces of advice for HR leaders was simple: slow down.
She said: “The key thing with any restructure is slow down a bit.”
Redundancy processes often begin under pressure. There may be financial urgency, senior leader expectations and a desire to move quickly. But rushing rarely helps.
Taking time at the planning stage is particularly important when considering ADHD reasonable adjustments at work during redundancy.
That might mean looking at:
- How information is shared
- Whether documents are clear and concise
- Whether next steps are written down
- Whether people have enough time to process information
- Whether they can submit questions in writing
- Whether deadlines are realistic
- Whether someone can be accompanied, even where there may not be a formal right at every stage
Julia suggested avoiding overly long consultation documents where possible. As she said, keep things “nice and short and succinct” rather than sending out “a 15-page consultation document.”
This is not about giving someone special treatment. As Julia pointed out, many of these things are simply good practice for everyone.
Fair redundancy selection criteria and ADHD
Selection criteria is one of the areas where HR teams need to be especially thoughtful.
When using a redundancy selection matrix, the criteria need to be fair, objective and evidence-based. But some criteria may unintentionally disadvantage someone with ADHD.
Julia mentioned examples such as organisation, timekeeping, attention to detail, communication, performance ratings and whether someone “consistently meets deadlines.”
That last one stood out. As Julia said, consistently meeting deadlines is a criterion that would immediately make her pause because “someone with ADHD struggles to do that and may not do it consistently.”
That does not mean those areas can never be relevant. But it does mean they need to be considered carefully.
This is where fair redundancy selection criteria need to be looked at through a wider lens.
HR teams should ask:
- Are the criteria genuinely relevant?
- Is the evidence robust?
- Could this disadvantage someone because of ADHD?
- Have reasonable adjustments been made?
- Has the individual been properly supported?
- Are we relying on facts or assumptions?
Julia’s question: “Are we just making some assumptions?” is a useful one to take into any redundancy planning conversation.
Consultation meetings: clarity over overload
From my own experience of being at risk of redundancy, and from supporting others, I know people often do not hear much after the words: “your role is at risk of redundancy.”
As I said to Julia, after that moment, “That’s it. They just glaze over.”
So expecting someone to absorb everything in one meeting is unrealistic. And for someone with ADHD, it may be even harder if they are trying to manage emotion, process information quickly and organise their thoughts on the spot.
Practical adjustments can make consultation more accessible. Follow up clearly in writing. Explain what will be discussed before one-to-one meetings. Give people time to reflect. Allow them to submit questions or thoughts in advance. Be clear about what happens next.
Small things can make a big difference.
A more thoughtful way through
Redundancy will never be easy. But we can make it more thoughtful.
What stood out from my conversation with Julia was the importance of looking at the process through a different lens. Not abandoning the process. Not making assumptions. But slowing down enough to ask whether the way we are doing things is genuinely fair, accessible and human.
Because ADHD and redundancy is not just a niche HR issue but a reminder that people experience redundancy differently.
And when we approach the process with clarity, curiosity and care, we give people a better chance of feeling heard, respected and supported at a moment they may remember for a very long time.
About the Guest
Julia Crawford is the founder of People Pillar, a HR consultancy supporting small businesses with all aspects of HR, including restructures and redundancies. She is also an ADHD coach, bringing together professional HR experience, coaching expertise and lived experience of ADHD.
Discover more content like this in our Redundancy Matters podcast or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
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Discover more content like this in our Redundancy Matters podcast, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
If you’d like to keep in touch to receive regular content on Redundancy, Outplacement, and to be notified when our podcast episodes land you can join our mailing list.
And if you want to find out more about our services you can get in touch to discuss how we could support you with our Outplacement Support Services.