The short answer
In my opinion, when it comes to ADHD and work, ADHD is not a reason to expect less from someone. It's also not something you can wish away with a pep talk and a new planner.
For me, the useful question isn't 'should we expect people with ADHD to work?'
It's 'what has to change about how the work is set up so they can?'
The news bit
Alan Milburn is leading the Government's review into young people and work. This month he's been in the headlines saying young people with conditions like ADHD and anxiety should be pointed towards work and support, not signed off. He called the current fit note route 'bloody insane'.
The numbers behind it are big. The review's first report, published in May, found the share of NEET young people (not in education, employment or training) who have a disability rose from 21% in 2013/14 to 45% in 2024/25. There were 981,000 NEET 16 to 24 year olds in April to June 2026.
The second report, with actual recommendations, is due this autumn. So this conversation isn't going anywhere.
And, predictably, the internet has split into two camps.
Camp one: 'ADHD is just an excuse'
This camp says young people are being let off. Everyone's got a label now. Back in my day we just got on with it.
(Did we, though? Or did a lot of us quietly struggle, get sacked, or burn out, and nobody wrote it down? I for one quietly struggled and burnt out over and over again, while forcing myself to stick with jobs I hated.)
The problem with this view is that it treats ADHD as a motivation problem. It isn't. ADHD affects things like starting tasks, holding information in your head, judging time and managing overwhelm.
Telling someone to 'just try harder' at those things is like telling someone with a broken ankle to walk it off. Effort isn't the missing ingredient. Most people with ADHD are already putting in more effort than the person next to them. They just have less to show for it.
Camp two: 'You can't expect them to work'
The other camp, often with the kindest intentions, goes the opposite way. ADHD is hard, the world is hard, so take the pressure off. No expectations. No deadlines.
I get the instinct. I've got ADHD. I've spent 30-odd years in the workplace watching people who'd been written off do brilliant things.
Lowering expectations to zero is its own kind of writing someone off. It says 'we don't think you can'.
I think they are arguing over the wrong thing
Both camps are arguing about the same thing: whether we expect people with ADHD to work, learn and contribute.
That's the wrong argument.
The expectation isn't the problem. The problem is that we keep designing jobs, training and support around one type of brain, then acting surprised when a different brain struggles with it.
So here's the Done Different position, as plainly as I can put it:
Adjust the HOW.
The job still needs doing. The qualification still needs passing. The customer still needs serving. What can change is the route.
What 'adjusting the how' looks like
This isn't really optional. A lot of it is already in law.
UK employers must make reasonable adjustments so that disabled workers, including people with conditions like ADHD, aren't put at a substantial disadvantage. And Access to Work, a government scheme, can help pay for things like software, a job coach and support at work.
In real life, for someone with ADHD, adjusting the how might mean:
- Written instructions after a verbal briefing, so the details don't vanish on the way back to the desk
- Big tasks broken into smaller, checkable steps
- Short, regular check-ins instead of one big review when it's all gone wrong
- A quieter spot to work, or headphones
- Visual timers, calendar reminders and real deadlines (not 'whenever you get a chance', which to an ADHD brain means 'never')
- Asking what will help. One person with ADHD isn't the same as the next. Support isn't one size fits all
Notice what's not on that list: 'don't bother turning up', 'no deadlines ever' or 'we'll do it for you'. The work still gets done. It just gets done in a way that works with the brain doing it.
Where this could go right (or wrong)
If 'work, not welfare' means building proper, adjusted routes into work for young people with ADHD, brilliant. Sign me up. Good work can do wonders for confidence, structure and money in your pocket.
But if it means pushing young people into schemes built for a brain they don't have, then calling it a personal failure when it doesn't stick, we'll be right back where we started. Just with a new name on the leaflet.
A work scheme with no adjustments is still a closed door. It's just got a nicer sign on it.
So what do we do?
If you are a young person with ADHD: you aren't broken, stupid or rubbish. You may be a llama who was handed the instructions to be a sheep! Your job isn't to become a better sheep. It's to find out what you are amazing at, and ask for the adjustments you need to achieve what you are capable of.
If you're an employer, trainer or manager: don't lower your standards. Ask one extra question: 'Is the way we've set this up making it harder than it needs to be?' But most importantly, ask what would be helpful. It may be as simple as allowing someone to wear a set of headphones to avoid distraction. You never know, that brilliant ADHD brain may even come up with ideas you hadn't thought of.
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Frequently asked questions
Is ADHD a reason not to work?
In my opinion, ADHD on its own isn't a reason to expect less from someone. It can create real barriers at work, though. The fairest approach is to change how the work is organised, through reasonable adjustments and the right support.
What reasonable adjustments help people with ADHD at work?
Ask the person. Don't make assumptions. Common examples include written instructions, breaking tasks into steps, short regular check-ins, a quieter workspace and reminder tools. Access to Work may help with the cost.
What is the Milburn review?
It's an independent review into young people and work, led by Alan Milburn. The first report was published in May 2026 and the second, with recommendations, is due in autumn 2026.