Are People with ADHD Bullied More in the Workplace?

"People with ADHD often can't read the room at work, and the consequences can be career-defining. The unwritten rules of workplace life are invisible to many ADHD brains, but the penalties are real. Research shows people with ADHD experience more workplace conflict, bullying, and job loss than their peers. I can tell you the exact moment I knew I was about to get fired."

"The team worked in a large open-plan office where banter was the order of the day. However, 'Sheila,' the HR manager, didn't banter; she corrected people's grammar. She was part HR manager, part grammar police. One day, a coworker brought in a packet of almonds and passed them around, "Anyone want an almond?" he said, pronouncing the 'L in almond. Sheila's ears pricked up, "You don't actually pronounce the 'L' in almond, Seamus, it's pronounced ahm-mond.'"

"'I think you'll find, it's actually I saw it, Sheila.' Silence. A hush fell over the office, and we all popped our heads above our monitors to see Sheila's face turn red. A rash spread over her chest. If it were a cartoon, you would see steam spurting from both ears. The tension was finally broken by a ripple of laughter that spread across the room. I laughed."

People with ADHD frequently struggle to 'read the room' at work, missing unwritten social rules and cues that govern office behavior. These misreadings increase risk of conflict, bullying, disciplinary action, and job loss. Open-plan offices and informal banter intensify pressure to conform to implicit norms. Correcting colleagues or managers publicly can trigger visible anger and social punishment. Such incidents serve as career-defining moments when supervisors or coworkers react negatively. Research links ADHD with higher rates of workplace conflict and employment instability, demonstrating that invisible social rules can produce concrete professional consequences.

Read at Psychology Today