Job number 23, an RV engineer

[theoutlier]

Hello.

I have been at my current job for two years and 2 months now. This is actually the longest I have been anywhere, and I have been everywhere- its literally my 23rd or 24th job. Not every job loss was due to ADD- some involved moving, graduating, layoffs or temp/contract work. But this is the 9th job affected by ADD, and it will be the 8th job loss as a result of ADD if they decide to get rid of me. I am working for my third boss at this company, because my first boss retired and my second boss demoted me to work for my third boss. Hopefully that makes sense (I found it rather poetic).

I got my pay cut a month ago. Don’t get me wrong, I make a lot of money- just not as much as I made a month ago. When asked why I was under-performing, I brought up the ADD, because I see it as a scientific reason; not as me placing blame or dodging blame. I have been asked to make a list of accommodations, and it is pending. The company I work for has been around 90 years and still does not have an elevator. That should give you an idea of how flexible they are as far as disability accommodation. The HR guy broke his leg, and they still did not build one- they just temporarily moved his office across the street.

My question is, what do I need to know about any backlash from creating a list of accommodations? I informed HR this last Friday (4 weeks after my demotion) that the list of accommodations was being reviewed by my psychologist. The HR guy said there is no hurry, but from what little research I did online, its best to get it done as soon as possible in case any more accusations of under-performance occur. Has anyone else dealt with this? Do the companies usually try the accommodations, or do they reject all of them and then terminate employment? I have no solutions to this problem, as you can probably guess from the fact that its my 23rd job.

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[shutterbug55]

Call me paranoid, but I think HR is not there for your benefit, it is there for the company’s. I keep the fact that I am ADHD a closely guarded secret.

You had mentioned that some of your jog changes have not been due to ADHD. That may not be the case. Let me explain. As someone who has ADHD, we don’t make connections with other people, like other people do. Because we are “outsiders” it is easier for them to lay us off, overlook us for raises/promotions, or not pick up a contract to hire option.

As an ADHD person, I have spent the majority of my working career looking for jobs.It seems like it is a never ending situation. That changed when I hired a life coach, who helps ADHD people like me fit into the work place.

Cathy Jenner who runs Connects Counseling in North Bend, Washington, might be able to refer you to someone in your area, or take you on as a client. She works with me in identifying situations that I wouldn’t otherwise consider important, and shows me why they are important, and how to handle them.

It has also helped with my own business, because I am communicating with my own clients,much better than before.

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[theoutlier]

Thanks for the feedback. I didn’t have much choice on this one. I was asked why I was having difficulty keeping up. To me ADD was the only answer. I see the brain just like any other organ, so saying I have ADD is no different to me than saying I have cancer. Its all biology. With this job, there is one unique characteristic- It wasn’t until after I had been there 2 years that I documented my ADD, so its not like doing so was a first resort. HR asked for my documentation and I gave it to them. That is true about HR. We can’t assume that we can tell them confidential information without it getting back to our boss.

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[Author]

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