Podcast Summary: Navigating Adult ADHD

Episode #136: ADHD at Work – Your Rights, Reasonable Adjustments & When to Tell Your Boss

Host: Xena Jones
Guest: Jaime Rose-Peacock (Employment Law Specialist, HR Consultant, Licensed Workplace Investigator)
Date: October 20, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the unique challenges and rights of people with ADHD in the workplace. Host Xena Jones and guest Jaime Rose-Peacock, who brings both lived experience and professional expertise in employment law and HR, discuss everything from reasonable accommodations and navigating disclosures to burnout and legal protections. The conversation is practical, empathetic, and packed with actionable advice for employees and employers alike.

Guest Introduction: Jaime Rose-Peacock’s Story

[04:57–11:12]

• Jaime introduces herself: owner of two businesses, Marbles People and Culture Hub (HR solutions for small-medium businesses) and Jamie Rose Employment Law Specialist (representing individuals). She also serves on the Employment Law Institute of New Zealand and A Change For Better.
• Shares her late ADHD diagnosis at 44, which provided powerful personal insights and shaped her approach to her work.
• Her experience with ADHD includes sleep problems, job-hopping, absenteeism, and burnout linked to her undiagnosed condition.
• Emphasizes that ADHD was never about lacking passion for work, but rather struggling with systems built for neurotypical people.
• Quote:
  “When I got this diagnosis at 44, it was just so validating. It made sense of all the world for me.” – Jaime [10:00]

Key Challenges for ADHDers at Work

[12:00–24:41]

• Invisible Struggles: Many mask and overwork, leading to hidden challenges. ADHD is often misunderstood or missed in workplace settings.
• Focus and Procrastination: Difficulty knowing where to start or how to break tasks into manageable steps.
• Burnout from Masking and Overcompensating: Cyclical burnout is common due to consistent overwork to meet expectations.
• Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD): Intensified anxiety around criticism, performance reviews, and feedback leads to emotional responses and sleepless nights.
• Workplace Structure: Both too much and too little structure create difficulties—clarity of deadlines, expectations, and job descriptions help.
• Performance Reviews: Often deficit-focused and anxiety-inducing; regular 1:1s are much more supportive.
• Forgetting Achievements: ADHDers tend to erase past wins and focus on failures.
• Quote:
  “Burnout is massive...what was diagnosed as depression and anxiety was actually just me having six monthly cyclic burnouts because my body just couldn't sustain it.” – Jaime [14:11]
  “Employers should see accommodations as unlocking productivity, not lowering standards.” – Jaime [33:58]

Reasonable Accommodations & Requesting Adjustments

[25:36–36:44]

What Are Reasonable Accommodations?

• Definition: Modifications or adjustments that help employees with disabilities (including ADHD) work on equal terms with others, as required by law (UN Convention and NZ Employment Relations Act).
• Jaime offers a shoe analogy:
  “Everybody needs shoes, but not everybody needs the same shoe size.” [27:06]

Practical Examples:

• Flexible start times or staggered schedules (especially valuable for chronic sleep issues)
• Written over verbal instructions or using tech for easier information recall (e.g., note-taking AI in meetings)
• Noise-cancelling headphones or quiet workspaces (even if it means challenging outdated workplace policies)
• Music, project management tools, or body doubling
• Regular 1:1 check-ins
• Standing desks or other ergonomic interventions

Tips for Making Requests:

• Be proactive: Identify where you’re struggling and suggest solutions.
• Frame as a productivity unlock, not special treatment.
• Employers must consider accommodation requests in “good faith” under the law, but accommodations must also be reasonable for the business.
• Use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) to help draft business proposals or communication with managers, but always personalize and check its accuracy.
• Quote:
  “Don’t be a victim with this. Be proactive in your own solution.” – Jaime [33:43]

Legal Protections, Rights, and Disclosure

[36:44–43:00; 46:41–55:47; 62:35–71:55]

Flexible Working (NZ Law)

• Under Part 6AA of the Employment Relations Act, any employee may request flexible working arrangements (changes to hours, days, work location).
• You do not have to disclose your ADHD or any diagnosis to make a flexible working request—your reason remains private.
  “You don’t need to tell your boss I’m applying for it because I’ve got ADHD.” – Jaime [37:05]
• Employers must respond in good faith within 20 working days and can only refuse for valid business reasons.

Should You Tell Your Boss?

• Not required unless your ADHD affects job performance or safety or you are legally required on an application (e.g., certain safety-sensitive roles).
• Assess your relationship with your boss and the workplace culture. If disclosure feels unsafe or could be weaponized, consider seeking legal advice first.
• If asking for accommodations and you’re comfortable, sharing some information can open doors to support, but it's not mandatory.
• If your medication will show up on a drug test, disclosure may be necessary.
• Employers may only collect health information relevant to job requirements, and you (or your doctor) can judge whether disclosure is necessary.

When Facing Performance Action or Absenteeism

• Employers must account for medical factors (like ADHD) if raised, pause any punitive action, and consider reasonable accommodations and alternative measures first (supported by NZ case law: e.g., FGH v RST).
• If you need time off due to burnout or health issues and have medical certification, employers cannot simply decline this; they must attempt accommodations where reasonable.
• If the workload or expectations are unreasonable or non-equitable, this is a legitimate matter to raise.
• Quote:
  “Mental health should always come before improvement plans.” – [63:05]

Representation: Who Can Help?

• Employees facing workplace problems can bring a representative (not necessarily a lawyer) to meetings or disciplinary processes.
• Advocates can be more accessible and are trained to support employees through employment law processes.
• It’s important to find an ethical advocate—look for membership in professional organizations like the Employment Law Institute of New Zealand.
• Quote:
  “When people come to me, many of my clients ... haven’t been heard. They just feel quite broken. And I go, ‘Oh, I get it.’ Sometimes that validation ... just being understood ... can help exponentially.” – Jaime [62:23]

Burnout and Taking Time Off

[55:47–61:51]

• Burnout is common in ADHD and may be caused by a combination of personal challenges and workplace demands.
• Employers must consider if their structures or workloads are contributing to burnout and take reasonable steps before considering dismissal.
• There is no fixed law on how long a role must be held open for someone on leave for health reasons—fairness and “reasonable effort” are the guideposts.
• External support (advocate, lawyer, Citizens Advice) can provide guidance for employees in complex or hostile situations.

Actionable Steps for Employees

[40:00–44:54]

• Come prepared: Know what outcome you want and support your request with concrete suggestions.
• Frame issues and solutions in writing if verbal conversations are challenging.
• Follow up if you don’t receive timely responses.
• Remember: Even without a diagnosis, you can ask for support or adjustments if you are struggling.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Proactive Advocacy:
  “Go in and focus on solutions. Look, this is a situation, this is what I’m struggling with. This is how it’s impacting me. Here’s what helps me do my best work.” – Jaime [40:24]
• On Validation:
  “Being understood, you know, and heard… sometimes people just being validated… can help exponentially.” – Jaime [62:29]
• On Mental Health:
  “How can you do your job when you’re not mentally well enough to actually do your job?” – Jaime [63:16]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:57] Jaime’s professional background
• [07:33] Jaime’s personal ADHD diagnosis story
• [12:00] Common workplace challenges for ADHD
• [25:56] What are reasonable accommodations?
• [36:13] All about flexible working under NZ law
• [39:36] How to request accommodations from your employer
• [46:41] Legal obligations for bosses; accommodation refusals
• [55:47] Burnout, medical leave, and employee rights
• [62:12] Value of choosing a representative with lived ADHD experience
• [63:05] “Mental health should always come before improvement plans.”
• [67:14] Disclosure: When (and if) to tell your employer about ADHD

Where To Find Jaime Rose-Peacock

• For Employers: www.marbles.org.nz
• For Individuals: www.jamierose.co.nz (Jamie is J-A-I-M-E)
• Also on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn; WhatsApp: 0800-100-347

Jaime offers brief, obligation-free consultations and support via text or messenger as well.

Final Thoughts

This episode gives employees concrete knowledge and empowered steps to advocate for themselves with ADHD at work—whether they choose to disclose, how to request accommodations, and what legal rights and processes protect them. It’s also a must-listen for employers seeking to create inclusive, productive, and legally compliant workplaces. The conversation’s warmth, humor, and authenticity shine throughout, making complex topics accessible and actionable.