Creatives: do you any of you get any accommodations at work for ADHD? Did it go over well?

Silly creative! Social good is for lip service and Lions. Not actual policy.

in my experience, ADHD is not something employers have learned not to discriminate against, and I’ve seen multiple ADHD coworkers get denied accommodations they ask for (eg a couple wfh days, a quieter workspace in the office) or taken off fun intense projects (“it would be too much for you” without realizing that the fun projects are the ones we long for!) or even get let go for poor performance.

Although I have ADHD, I’ve never formally asked a job for accommodations. Here’s what has worked for me:

- asking PMs what priorities are when I’m on multiple briefs. Simply explaining there isn’t enough time for everything is usually enough. SOME CDs are good at clarifying when I ask, and even helping move things off my plate, most are not and just say “this is what the business is now” and they think it’s BS, but they also think that we (their reports) are paid more than they were (when you factor in inflation, we’re generally not), and that we have to put up with bs timelines and hundreds of deliverables. PMs and producers are usually more helpful in managing timeline expectations though

- saving (hitting the bookmark button or even screenshotting on other message systems) on every new ask that comes through over slack, and asking “when do you need this by” on every single ask. sometimes, someone tells you something right away to get it off THEIR plate, but it doesn’t need to be on yours for another couple days.

- ask explicitly for new briefs to come through email, ask that CDs are included in all of these little extra asks and they’re not just coming in through google comments or side chats

- ask account for all feedback to come in written form. again not asking as accommodation, but framing it as a benefit to them. “Hey, can you share your notes from that client meeting, just want to make sure we’re all on the same page about next steps”

- ask PMs to be super clear on timelines, if an award meeting shifts, does production schedule change, etc.

- make your own mini deadlines for tasks and over-communicating about them . “I can have updated swipe in the deck by noon tomorrow, and we’ll build out the extensions by EOD.” also gives you opportunity to check that what you’re prioritizing is right.

- use your partner! loop them into the step by step stuff you’re working on, tell them when you need quiet time or ask if they can cover incoming asks while you get in the zone on something very thought-heavy. if you’re working remote, book time together every day to clarify priorities and say what you’re working on. if you’re working in person, just catch up quickly at the beginning the day. ask “am i blocking you from anything?” or “how can we best use our time together” (works well if you’re not permanent projects and have different partners from time to time)

- this may not work for everyone, but I find going into the office very helpful because it prevents me from doing a ton of work after hours. on a normal day (eg: not during pre production, pitches, the night before a meeting, etc), I stay til 6, leave then and pick up the work again in the AM. my partner does this too and we’re both good at managing our time

- paying out of your own pocket for things that make life easier/calmer more stable. whether that’s stuff like workout classes, massages, video games, a weekend out of town. you know what makes your brain feel good/rested. burnout is especially bad for ADHD folks, take care of you!

- do not deprive yourself of the small pleasures in our job and the places your ADHD brain takes you. if you’re going to be working late or overtime, make it for that stuff. for me, that’s directors decks! I love love love making a director’s deck and if I can, I wake up really early to get one started because I find them so fun.

Ironically my company has come to rely on my aggressive ADHD. Better at doing 10 things than 1. Throw as much as they can at me and I handle it while being very understaffed, and solve problems they didn’t know we had because I’ll get hyper-fixated on something and then learn everything about it and come up with a bunch of possible solution options. My boundaries suck and I’ll do it in creative, finance, project management, strat, etc. when my primary role is account lead and client liaison.

Then I’ll burn out and disappear for a day.

I work on the health side and have helped us get two ADHD products (one the “actual patient” quote in the pitch deck was from me lol). I’m still heading up one of them.

I have employees under me that also have ADHD, and I’ve managed them much better than others have. I recognize a surge and burn, so throw what I can at them to tackle when I notice they are shooting off a bunch of emails, then back off when they go dark for a few hours. Net net, I get more out of them than previous managers.

My ADHD accommodations are subtle and non-official. Hot desks and open floor plans are a nightmare for me, so more often then not I just work out of a booth or kitchen when I have to go in the office, or commandeer a conference room for half the day for calls and nobody says sh**. When I tell my superiors to leave me alone they do, because they know they’ll just get in my way. If I don’t fulfill a perfect RTO week nobody comes down on me (or I will talk them in circles until it’s not a problem anymore anyway).

They say 11% of children and 6% of adults have it, but let’s be honest, , you don’t grow out of it. And much of it goes undiagnosed or unreported. Assume more like 14% general population

Now advertising seems to attract our sorts. It’s an office job, but a multifaceted mildly chaotic one (perfect). So assume more like 20%, and 1 in 5 people at your office have it. Most likely your manager if they are the charismatic type or you know a little too much about their personal life.

Don’t be afraid, speak out. Let people know what you’re working with. You got a better power drill in your tool box, but it runs high speed until the battery drains.

And let’s be honest, the absolute best thing that could happen to you would be you were discriminated against and you can prove it. Because you can march home with and ADA lawyer and make off better than that lady who spilled hot coffee on herself at McDonalds and made millions.

I’ve never not had it used against me in some way or another

I have it and have always dealt with it on my own. Never heard of work accommodations

I’m AuDHD. Nobody knows and nobody will ever know. It will ALWAYS be used against you.

What would be reasonable to ask for? A bit of uninterrupted time to focus without meetings, a max limit on projects? I just feel like I’m being taken advantage of because I can do a lot of things at once and am typically on top of everything, but it’s really catching up with me. I’m burning out. I don’t like using my ADHD as an excuse I rarely bring it up for fear of judgement, but I just don’t know what to do.

Everyone has ADHD these days

Medicate and use it to your advantage

Not a creative but I have adhd and manage a few people who openly say they have adhd. They often have trouble meeting deadlines and following through on things. I understand their challenges but I feel doubly stretched trying keep everything on track while being understanding. Would love to know what managers have done for you that have helped?

Block your calendar with work-only time chunks and communicate it's your process when needed.

No accommodations so far. I think when working with a team of creatives, it's kind of a given that a few, if not most of the team, struggle with some neurodivergence. I've had leaders in the past build a buffer or safety net for us, so long as we openly communicated our capabilities. Usually, I reach out to PMs or ADs and let them know what's on my plate so they can help me prioritize which tasks need to be completed first. I'm a freelancer now, though, so this has been especially difficult to deal with, especially since I push on the gas hard in the beginning. Projects generally tend to be drawn out for far longer than what was initially pitched. I'm currently recovering from burnout, and it's not something I can easily communicate to the team I'm working with. Or at least that's how it feels.

I’m remote

Listen, half our department is somewhere on the spectrum or has ADHD or OCD, it’s just wired into who we are. Creatives have always been that way. We always will be that way. It’s part of what makes us unique and makes us able to do these jobs. I can’t imagine what kind of accommodation you’re looking for.