How come there are jobs that won't allow anyone in if they are ADHD?

[Anonymous]

Thanks Zeekan for your post, It was extremely helpful.

Cheers,

Nico

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[Anonymous]

Support from home is very important as well.

I have a very strong patient wife, who has put up with a lot. Since she is the exact opposite, graduating University with an 96% average.

Being quite, being in the moment, these are things she has given me.

Most of my friends and my wife have been forgotten while waiting on hold more then once, my ADHD is pretty bad at times when I don’t really try and manage it.

That being said, I make a conscious effort to change the bad behaviors, but you are going to mess up once and a while.

Having a real set of close friends is important. If they are really your freinds they will take the good with the bad.

They know not to let me say… just a minute I will be right back, when they are on the phone with me…

My wife is probably the most important supporter. All the other stuff is great, but without her I wouldn’t be doing any of it.

Very much my biggest inspiration is my wife and how she came from humble beginnings and worked her way to where she is now.

( lawyer )

cheers…

andy.

cheers…

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[Nanapamela]

michelmdubois I thankyou. It is great to hear someone else has to work alone.

I have been working at my job for thirteen years and when they talked about putting me from my isolation booth. (An office with no windows and no distractions unless people came in then I had to talk.) I panicked. I started telling them the place they wanted to put me in was to small. to near people. to noisey. I made a lot of excuses. I to work better when no one is there to distract me. I also have to teach new people who come on staff how to work with me. My senior boss is awesome in teaching them as well. Sometimes new people make remarks but I try to ignor them.

Getting this job was a blessing after the interview I was sent on and the people tried to back out of the room via the wall when I said I had ADHD. they thought it was some sort of critical disease. I was not prepared to attend anymore interviews. then I was offered the job I have. It has had its moments but I love it.

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[Rick Green – Founder of TotallyADD]

Hey, Nanapamela, instead of ignoring people who make comments, send them to this website.

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[Anonymous]

I work in a “call centre” environment and am just one of many in the open space. I have a very hard time focusing sometimes. I can be there and all of a sudden I’ve latched on to a conversation someone is having or hear my name. I’m at the point of tring to find a headset that has the bigger, over the ear headphone style… things. I’m half tempted to take an old pair of my big headphones, built the headset into them. Of course I’ll leave the original speakers in too.. background music for a soundtrack of the day

All in all I’m lucky to still be there. It’s closing in on 8 years and I’ve been written up for being late too much, not meeting my sales goals (I’m a technical Support Rep for an Internet Registrar/hosting company) and so on. I’ve been out on stress leave, been absolutely miserable to loving being there and able to be far above anyone else. But that last bit is rare.

I say keep at it. If your employer needs to be educated as to what you face, DO IT. I’m getting all the paper work done for HR and my Manager. Once it’s officially documented on file it’ll be something they have to learn about. Once they get past the misconception that ADD is just not paying attention to your tasks they’ll come around.

As for hiring practices, an employer is not allowed to ask about disabilities and the like. Correct me if I’m wrong tho.

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[Anonymous]

LOL Rick… yea. Send them here.. Well get’em with the nerf guns, (nerf) bats and cottage cheese!

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[Anonymous]

I just think it would be helpful if ADHD were more widely recognised as a disability because, for a lot of people, it is. There are some areas where I really struggle.

I’m fortunate that my superior at work is fantastic, so when I told him about it he was very understanding and said “Look, some days you won’t be able to come in and some days you’ll have to leave early if it all gets too much – that’s fine. If it happens in class, just let me know and I’ll look after your group while you settle.”

It’d be nice if more employers were like that but, given that they’re not (I’d have to have some of the other senior staff here as my superiors), it’d be good to have actual regulations regarding acceptable provisions for people with ADHD.

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[Anonymous]

Nimthiriel-

Agreed that awareness is so important but there are individuals out there that still “think it’s nothing at all, it’s completely made up, not an issue. Yeah.” Patrick McKenna. I am often times on Nanapamela side…just ignore them. The fight just beats one down to the point of submission.

I am currently an engineering graduate student soon to be finishing my masters in structural engineering. I finished my undergrad and held my first job for a grand total of nine months and during my “exit interview” my boss went out of his way to tell me that I needed to find another career and not bother going for my masters cause I’d just fail. I even had my high school guidance counselor told me I’d be good as a garbage collector and that college was not really necessary.

Point is…I have turned around what I have been told by so many by making it sort of a battle of internal wills and beating all the nay sayers…okay…i need to finish writing a paper for one of my classes that has been assigned since October and it is due tomorrow.

Hold on…its a heck of a ride.

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[Anonymous]

This has had me wondering…did some digging. Not sure if Canada has something similar in place but this is a referenced section from..http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-web/article/674.html

Essentially…we are screwed. It seems that a last ditch effort of telling your employer you have it when you are digging yourself out of a whole. You may get lucky and find one with some compassion…good luck with that! At least for me anyways….i am an engineer that works for engineers….engineers most times are just big old jackasses, well my experience anyways.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990

What have employers been told about ADHD and the ADA?

An article published by the New York Law Journal was not very encouraging. It says, “As more employees learn that their work-related problems may be attributable to Adult ADHD, some will likely seek protection fromdiscrimination under the Act. Employers faced with these disability discrimination claims should institute a two-pronged defense.”

“First, the employer should force the employee to meet his burden of proving that he does in fact suffer from ADHD, and that the employee’sADHD impairs a major life activity. If the employee successfully establishes that he is disabled within the meaning of the Act, the employershould argue that the employee is unable to perform the essential functions of his job. This argument will be aided if the employer can point to awritten job description stating that general skills such as following instructions, completing tasks on time and getting along with others areessential functions of the employee’s particular position.”

“The symptoms of Adult ADHD are such that they will likely prevent the employee from performing these essential functions. Therefore,employees who are terminated because of behavior attributable to Adult ADHD will probably not be entitled to protection under the Act.”

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[BuxomDiva]

I realize this site is international so we aren’t all dealing with the same set of rules in the workplace. I’m in Toronto, Ontario and was fortunate to take part in a program called WESP (workplace essentials skills partnership) in December 2009 where all the participants have some kind of disability and are trying to get back into the workforce. We were educated about our rights in the workplace and given ideas about disclosing our disabilities, asking for accommodations etc.

So the poster who’s distracted working in a call center might be entitled to a more private space with less noise or something? (although I realize most employers would find it cheaper to fire somebody than make accommodations, expecting that most of us won’t bother going to the human rights commission

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[batgirl]

What Dr. J wrote really hit home to me. I was diagnosed ADD while on a “stress” leave from a job I love/hate. Despite demands from my employer to return I’ve yet to gather to courage to try working again (I’m now on meds which help) and every time I think about going back to work I have a panic attack. My former work supervisor seemed to “manage” me really well. I could work from home when it suited me and so I could concentrate. He also helped put the brakes on when I started to over do it. It’s like he knew I had ADD before I ever did. And I NEED brakes or I become a workaholic and end up sick.

Unfortunately, he left the company two years ago and since then my work/life balance suffered- I ended up way over my head and not able to function to the point I became seriously depressed- hense the sick leave. I’m so scared to return without knowing I have some level of support. My employer has requested my Dr. complete a questionaire to describe how my condition could affect my work…(they don’t even know I have ADD). I’m afraid if I go back they’ll just find some excuse to fire me or say that I’m no longer able to fullfil my work obligations…. So I just keep avoiding their letters and procrastinate dealing with it- But eventual I will have to make a choice. I used to love my job, but as I said I once had support that worked. HELP!!!!! Any advise??

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[Anonymous]

@batgirl Hang in there–I’m in a similar boat. I came to this job because I liked working with the guy who hired me. 3 months after I started, we reorganized, and they stuck me with the most narcissistic, thoughtless, self-involved, egotistical moron ever to darken these doors. He blamed his screw ups on me and my coworkers, took all the glory and shared all the blame and had the never to give us bad reviews. He was since fired for sexual harassment, but it was the worst 2 years of my career.

Things are getting better now, and I’m just learning about my ADHD and how to manage it. I’m always trying to live up to what I think are people’s expectations, and that means never saying no. I ended up in the hospital twice because of that.

One thing I’ve done is to tell my new boss that the solution to this problem (whatever problem of the day is at hand) is not “Pete works harder.” That ends up with Pete in the hospital or dead and the company needs to hire someone new. This worked remarkably well. Makes me think there is something to this boundary setting thing.

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[batgirl]

Thanks pete-puma. YES- boundaries do seem to be key. I need a job with an automatic shut-off valve. I used to get up in the morning and check my e-mails at like 6 am- even though I knew no one could possibly be sending me anything at that hour. Trouble is I get so intense- when I finally get to the point where I can concentrate (which take enormous effort) I become totally fixated to the point that the office could catch fire and I wouldn’t notice. And yeah- a lot of bad bosses take advantage of that energy and keep loading on the work- and I keep taking it until I’m literally sick!!!

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[Nanapamela]

Update. I have since received a new position in a new firm. I work as a data entry person in the accounting department. The company I work with not only is intolerable of discrimination of any kind. but very acceptable of me. Although some of the workers have difficulties with the speed in which I do my work, they all accept I have a disability in ADHD. They bless me with patience and encouragement in learning to do new tasks when they come up. At first working here was difficult as I was placed in a booth shared with another worker who introduced me to what being bullied in the work place was, and how intolerable the world was about people who are disabled. I was too upset to share it with even my supervisor. It took another worker overhearing what was going on to put a stop to it. Even at 51 life can be challenging. I had been protected at my old work place against such behaviours. I had never experienced it. The bosses informed everyone that there is zero tolerance for that kind of behaviour. I know sitting still and being bouncy is my issues. but I cannot be medicated due to other medical situations. So I am now working in my own cubicle and am allowed to listen to quiet music to help me focus. I like my new job. and am learning how to walk instead of run. LOL..

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[Nanapamela]

ps. I have given the site to not only my family members but also my work mates. Thank you

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