In short
No.
Telling people at work that you are neurodivergent is always your choice, and there is no single right answer. Disclosure can open doors to support, and it can also carry risk depending on the workplace. In Australia you can ask for reasonable adjustments from day one under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, whether or not you name a diagnosis.
Last reviewed August 2026.
Find the words that fit
Find the words that fit
You should not have to explain your whole nervous system to get support. These are starting points you can borrow, adapt, or make your own.
“I am neurodivergent, and a couple of small tweaks help me do my best work.”
“I take detail in better in writing. Could you drop the key actions in an email after we meet?”
“Let me come back to you on that shortly, I think it through better with a moment.”
“This part of the role is genuinely hard for me. Could we look together at what would ease it?”
“A lot of what I do to keep up is not visible, but it is real, and I would rather ask than mask it.”
Know your words and rights
Know your words and rights
Words that can help
- Masking
- Covering or holding back how you naturally are so you seem to fit in. It can get you through the day, and it quietly runs your battery down.
- Burnout
- The deep flattening that builds when masking and demands pile up for too long. A sign to lower the load, not a failing.
- Double empathy
- The idea that mix-ups between autistic and non-autistic people run both ways, rather than being one side's fault.
- Reasonable adjustments
- Practical changes to how or where you work that remove a barrier. If an employer refuses, they carry the onus of proving it would cause unjustifiable hardship.
Adjustments worth asking about
- Flexible start and finish times
- A low-sensory place to work
- Written instructions to re-read
- A written recap after meetings
- Time to reply, not on the spot
- Regular, predictable check-ins
Two rights, on two timelines
Two rights, on two timelines
From day one, adjustments
Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, refusing a reasonable adjustment can be unlawful discrimination, unless your employer proves it would cause unjustifiable hardship, or that you could not do the job's essential duties even with it in place. If they refuse anyway, you can take it to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
After 12 months, flexibility
Autism and ADHD normally count as a disability under the Fair Work Act, so once you have 12 months of continuous service (regular ongoing work, if you are casual) you can ask for flexible working in writing. Your employer has to genuinely consider it, reply within 21 days, and can only say no on reasonable business grounds. If they refuse or go quiet, the Fair Work Commission can step in.
Common questions
Questions people ask us
Do I have to tell my employer I am neurodivergent?
No. Telling people at work is always your choice. There is no single right answer, and no single right moment. Disclosure can open doors to support. It can also carry risk, depending on the workplace. You can start small, and say more later.
What are reasonable adjustments at work?
Reasonable adjustments are practical changes to how or where you work that remove a barrier. Flexible start and finish times are one example. So are written instructions you can re-read, a low sensory place to work, and time to reply rather than answering on the spot.
Can my employer refuse an adjustment?
Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, refusing a reasonable adjustment can be unlawful discrimination. Your employer carries the onus of proving it would cause unjustifiable hardship. They may also need to show you could not do the job's essential duties even with it in place.
When can I ask for flexible working?
After 12 months of continuous service. Autism and ADHD normally count as a disability under the Fair Work Act. If you are casual, that means regular ongoing work. You ask in writing. Your employer has to genuinely consider it and reply within 21 days.
What can I say to ask for support at work?
You do not have to explain your whole nervous system. You could say you are neurodivergent, and a couple of small tweaks help you do your best work. You could ask for the key actions in an email after a meeting. Short and specific works.
What is double empathy?
Double empathy is the idea that mix-ups between autistic and non-autistic people run both ways. It is not one side's fault. Both people are reading each other across a difference. That makes a communication problem a shared one, rather than something you alone must fix.