Don’t disable me: A scoping review of ADHD employees’ experiences of working in open-plan offices

Abstract

Background

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder individuals face heightened risk of unemployment and underemployment. Addressing the impact of workplace conditions on ADHD employees is a matter of equity and organisational success. A supportive and inclusive work environment allows employers to capitalise on the strengths of ADHD employees while moderating potential challenges, leading to mutual benefits for employees and organisations. Identifying how work environments undermine or facilitate success for ADHD employees is an important first step toward this goal.

Objective

This study examines literature on the experiences of ADHD employees in open-plan office environments, aiming to identify the scope and nature of existing research.

Methods

Using Arskey and O’Malley's scoping review framework, literature was sourced through systematic searches of four library databases, and reference lists of pertinent articles.

Results

The analysis identified twenty-two pieces of literature, revealing a significant gap in empirical research on ADHD workers in open-plan offices. Themes that emerged include publication type and purpose, impact of open-plan office spaces, and key recommendations for employers. While empirical evidence is sparse, anecdotal evidence, professional opinions, the inherent nature of ADHD, and participants’ lived experiences indicate that open-plan offices can impede creativity and productivity of ADHD employees.

Conclusions

This scoping review highlights the scarcity of systematic research on this topic and underscores the need for future studies to empirically assess how open-plan office environments affect ADHD employees. The findings suggest these environments may negatively impact not only the wellbeing of ADHD workers but the general workforce and potentially an organisation's overall performance.