Telling your team about your diagnosis

You've had the diagnosis for a while now. Maybe a few weeks. Maybe longer. And you still haven't told anyone at work.

Not because you don't want to. But because you don't know where to start, what to say, or whether saying it will change how people see you. Whether it will help. Whether it will make things worse.

That uncertainty is completely understandable. And you're not alone in it.

First: you don't have to

This is the thing that often gets left out of disclosure guides.

You are not obligated to tell your employer, your manager, or your colleagues about your diagnosis. It's your information. You get to decide who knows, when they know, and how much detail you share.

Some people disclose because they want adjustments in place and need to name a reason. Some disclose because they're tired of masking and want to be more honest about how they work. Some choose not to disclose at all, for entirely valid reasons including past bad experiences, a workplace culture that doesn't feel safe, or simply not wanting to.

All of those choices are legitimate. There's no right answer here.

If you do decide to tell someone

Think about who, before you think about how.

Is there a manager or HR contact you trust? Someone who has shown they take this kind of thing seriously? Disclosure lands differently depending on who receives it. Starting with someone you already have a good relationship with usually makes the conversation easier.

You don't have to tell everyone at once. You don't have to tell your whole team before you've told your manager. You get to control the order and the pace.

What to actually say

There's no perfect script, and anything that sounds like one will probably feel wrong when you're actually in the room. But a few things tend to help.

Keep it practical rather than medical. You don't need to explain the neuroscience or your full history. What's most useful is connecting your diagnosis to what it means for your work, and what, if anything, you'd like to change as a result.

Something like: "I've recently been diagnosed with ADHD. It helps explain some of the ways I work, and I wanted to be open about it. I'm not looking for anything to change right now, I just didn't want to keep it to myself." Or: "I've been diagnosed with ADHD and I'd like to talk about whether there are any adjustments that might help me work more effectively."

You can share as little or as much as feels right. You don't owe anyone a detailed explanation.

What you're entitled to

If you do disclose, your employer has a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to consider reasonable adjustments. That might mean changes to your working hours, your environment, how feedback is given, or how tasks are structured. What's reasonable depends on context, but the duty to consider it is real.

It's worth going into the conversation knowing that, even if you don't lead with it.

If it doesn't go well

Sometimes disclosures don't land the way you hoped. A dismissive response, a sudden shift in how you're treated, or a conversation that goes nowhere.

That's not a reflection of your diagnosis or your decision to share it. It's a reflection of the workplace culture and the person you told.

If that happens, document what was said and when. Talk to HR if you haven't already. And consider whether you need further support, from a union rep, an employment adviser, or someone who can help you understand your options.

A final thought

Disclosure is personal. There's no version of it that works for everyone, and there's no timeline you should be following.

If you're not ready, you don't have to be. If you are ready but you're not sure how, start small. One person. One conversation. See how it goes.

And if you want to talk it through before you do anything else, that's what the NeuroThrive Network community is there for.