Neurodiversity workplace adjustments: why manager confidence is now a compliance risk (and how eLearning helps)

Neurodiversity at work is no longer a “nice-to-have” inclusion initiative. It’s becoming a clear organisational risk area — especially when managers don’t feel confident discussing reasonable adjustments and employees don’t trust that support will work in practice.

A recent survey by our partners VinciWorks, highlights a growing gap between how organisations rate themselves on neurodiversity and what their own data suggests is happening day-to-day: 35% of HR, L&D and compliance professionals said managers in their organisation lack confidence when discussing reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent employees.

At the same time, tribunal claims involving neurodiversity discrimination are rising fast — putting even more pressure on HR teams to evidence that support is consistent, documented and working in practice, not just written down in a policy.

This article explains what the survey findings mean for UK employers, the practical steps HR leaders can take now, and how a modern eLearning approach can help build manager capability at scale.

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What are “reasonable adjustments” for neurodivergent employees?

Reasonable adjustments are changes an employer makes to remove or reduce workplace barriers that place a disabled person at a disadvantage. In practice, adjustments for neurodivergent employees (including colleagues with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia) can include:

• alternative communication methods (for example, written instructions instead of verbal-only)
• changes to how meetings are run (agendas in advance, clear actions, structured turn-taking)
• noise/lighting adjustments or quieter working areas
• flexibility around working patterns or breaks
• adjustments to recruitment, onboarding and performance processes

The important part: adjustments are often small and practical, but they require managers to understand how to start the conversation, what to consider, and how to review changes over time.

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The confidence gap: what the VinciWorks survey reveals

The VinciWorks survey of workplace professionals found:

• 35% said managers lack confidence when discussing neurodiversity workplace adjustments
• only 6.5% said managers were very confident in these conversations
• 57% believed their organisation was neurodiversity-friendly — but this didn’t align neatly with the barriers they reported.

That mismatch is the real warning sign.

The “we’re supportive” paradox

Many organisations intend to support neurodivergent colleagues and may have policies in place. But if managers lack confidence, employees experience support as inconsistent — and HR teams struggle to evidence outcomes.

This is where risk increases:

• managers avoid conversations because they’re worried about “saying the wrong thing”
• adjustments become ad hoc rather than documented and reviewed
• problems show up later as grievances, capability issues, sickness absence, or claims

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Why this matters more now: tribunals, cost, and scrutiny

The survey also references analysis showing a significant increase in tribunal claims linked to neurodiversity discrimination over recent years, with autism and ADHD commonly cited

Even when an employer ultimately “wins”, disputes are costly:

• management time and distraction
• legal costs and reputational damage
• loss of trust internally

For HR and compliance leaders, the question becomes:

Can you evidence what your managers were trained to do, what they actually did, and how support was reviewed?

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The training gap: policies don’t change behaviour — practice does

One of the clearest messages from the VinciWorks article is that training is often missing or treated as a one-off event:

• fewer than 4 in 10 organisations had delivered neurodiversity training
• where training existed, it often wasn’t embedded into ongoing programmes.[1]

That matters because confidence is built through:

• repeated exposure
• scenario practice (what to say, what not to say)
• manager-friendly steps and prompts
• clear escalation routes and documentation standards

If you want consistent outcomes, you need consistent learning — not just a PDF policy and a single webinar.

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A practical action plan for HR teams (30–60 days)

If you want to reduce risk and improve support quickly, focus on these steps:

1) Standardise the “adjustments conversation”

Give managers a simple framework:

• how to open the conversation
• what to ask (needs, barriers, triggers, preferred communication)
• what “good” adjustments can look like
• how to document and review

2) Train managers in real scenarios

Generic awareness training is a start — but managers need practical, workplace-specific examples:

• performance conversations
• sickness absence processes
• meeting and communication challenges
• recruitment and onboarding adjustments

3) Build an evidence trail (without creating admin overload)

You don’t need bureaucracy — you need consistency:

• a simple template for recording adjustments
• review dates and ownership
• clear signposting to Occupational Health / HR / EAP where relevant

4) Make it continuous, not one-and-done

Embed learning into your annual cycle:

• onboarding for new managers
• annual refresher
• bite-sized updates when legislation or best practice shifts

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How Astute eLearning supports neurodiversity training at scale

If you’re trying to raise standards across an entire organisation, the operational challenge is always the same: how do we make training consistent, measurable, and easy to manage?

That’s where the Astute eLearning platform can help.

Astute is designed to reduce training admin and give you the reporting you need — without relying on spreadsheets and manual chasing.

What this means in practice

With Astute, you can:

• assign neurodiversity and inclusion learning to the right people (for example, all people managers)
• build role-based learning paths (manager vs employee vs HR)
• automate reminders and track completion
• monitor progress through dashboards and export reporting for leadership or compliance reviews

Most importantly, it helps you move from “we have a policy” to “we can evidence that our managers were trained, completed learning, and are supported to apply it consistently.”

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Frequently asked questions

What is neurodiversity in the workplace?

Neurodiversity describes the natural variation in how people think, learn and process information. In the workplace it commonly includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and other cognitive differences.

What are reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent employees?

Reasonable adjustments are practical changes that reduce workplace barriers — for example, changes to communication, meeting structure, working environment, flexibility, and recruitment or performance processes.

Why is neurodiversity training important for managers?

Because managers usually have the first conversation about adjustments. When managers lack confidence, support becomes inconsistent, issues escalate, and organisations face higher grievance, absence and legal risk.

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Summary: the goal is confidence, consistency, and evidence

The survey findings are a clear prompt for HR and compliance teams: neurodiversity support needs to be operational, not just aspirational.

If your managers aren’t confident discussing reasonable adjustments, you don’t just have a learning gap — you have a risk gap.

By embedding practical, ongoing training and using a platform that makes assignment and reporting straightforward, you can improve outcomes for neurodivergent colleagues while reducing the likelihood of disputes and claims.