Half Of Neurodivergent Workers Are Ready To Quit And Employers Should Be Worried—Here’s Why

1 in 5 working adults in the U.S. is neurodivergent, and many aren’t happy with their jobs.

Or at least that’s the gist of a recent report by Alludo.

“In supported environments, neurodivergent individuals thrive and offer a wealth of strengths and abilities that allow them to make exciting discoveries and challenge the status quo,” Chambers said in a news release. “These exceptionalities are especially valuable now as businesses are struggling to find and retain talent. Embracing neurodiversity in the workforce is not only the right thing to do; it’s smart business.”

Being neurodivergent is usually in reference to a biological difference in the way brain works such as by having ADHD, being on the autism spectrum or having dyslexia.

According to the report, neurodivergent workers self-identified skills they possess that include creative thinking, attention to detail, and focus but don’t believe their potential employers recognize that enough.

More than half (51%) of neurodivergent workers want to quit their jobs or already have because they don’t feel valued or supported by their employers. Seventy-nine percent also said they would rather have flexibility in work settings and shared that working from home allows them to take much-needed regular breaks and mental health breaks.

Also, others didn’t even feel comfortable disclosing their neurodivergent diagnosis to their employers.

According to an analysis of the study’s finding by HR Dive, while most said they did feel comfortable sharing their neurodivergent condition with their manager, not all had that sense of ease. Those who felt uncomfortable said they feared their supervisor would think they couldn’t do their job, that they would be treated differently or that they would be overlooked for promotions.