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THE RECENT RUSH to return workers to the office and the removal of more flexible remote and hybrid options is coated in a narrative around productivity, yet it carries a risk of the significant disruption for a quarter of the workforce – those who self-identify or have been diagnosed as neurodivergent – which is counterproductive to increasing productivity. And the research is emerging which shows this.
A report published by DCU this week involving a survey of 1,500 employees in three corporate workforces reveals one in four corporate employees self-identify or have been diagnosed as neurodivergent.
That term neurodivergent reflects a number of neurological differences, from autism and ADHD to anxiety and depression. Employee well-being is not a corporate fringe benefit. It is a non-negotiable asset. Yet, while businesses struggle to solve the burnout epidemic, they can overlook the most effective tool at their disposal. It is time for companies to stop granting flexibility as a favour and start using it as a competitive advantage.
Amidst a fresh surge of return-to-office mandates, this shift is most urgent for the neurodivergent workforce, who often drive innovation but can be the first to burn out under traditional, counterintuitive working norms.
Historically, we have viewed neurological differences through a clinical lens, treating any mind that operates outside a narrow norm as a problem to be solved. This medical model reduces human potential to a list of ‘symptoms’ and ‘special needs’.
In contrast, the neurodiversity movement offers a more nuanced perspective. It recognises that conditions, including Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia, are essential variations of the human experience. These neurodivergencies are not deficits or disorders; they are different ways of thinking and processing the world, which have been critical to society’s progress.
Therefore, for neurodivergent employees, flexibility is not just a perk; it is an essential accommodation that transforms a workplace from a sensory minefield into a space for high-level performance.
The scale of this potential is significant. Current estimates suggest that at least one-in-five people is neurodivergent, and our research suggests this could in fact be closer to one in four when looking at adults in corporate environments. This is not a niche demographic; it is a sizeable portion of the global workforce, whose cognitive strengths can be stifled by outdated office norms. Organisations that move beyond ‘inclusion’ as a buzzword to actively embrace neurodivergent talent gain a measurable edge.
Research shows these companies consistently outperform their peers, delivering higher revenues and better returns for stakeholders. However, the benefit goes deeper than the bottom line. By embracing diversity, companies not only improve their public image, but they also fundamentally enrich their creative output and problem-solving capacity, driving the kind of innovation that a traditional 9-to-5 approach simply cannot produce.
Authentic flexibility is not just about where we work, but how we are empowered to manage our cognitive and physical reserves. For the neurodivergent employee, work autonomy is the difference between a productive day and a week of recovery. When we move beyond the traditional office model, we allow employees to align their peak focus hours with their tasks. For instance, allowing an ADHDer to harness a late-night burst of hyperfocus or an autistic professional to process complex data without the constant interruption of office drop-ins.
Hybrid working models are critical in this respect. By granting employees control over their environment, including the ability to dim the lights, silence the background hum, or simply work without the exhausting social masking required in a physical office, companies significantly reduce the risk of burnout. In a hybrid world, the office can become a choice for collaboration, while the home becomes a sanctuary for deep work.
In our recent cross-organisational study of neurodivergent corporate employees, a striking pattern emerged. Across three distinct organisations, employees consistently ranked collegial awareness, supportive management and flexible working arrangements as necessary requirements for a safe and supportive workplace.
Furthermore, when asked to name the most important accommodations, these employees sent a clear message to leadership. They were not asking for complex initiatives. They were asking for control over their environment, specifically, hybrid working conditions, flexible start and end times, and access to quiet spaces for regulation.
Critics of this shift toward authentic flexibility frequently cite a fairness issue, fearing that tailoring work conditions to individual needs will result in resentment among the wider workforce. There is also the persistent concern that moving away from in-office work will compromise the spontaneous collaboration that regularly defines traditional office culture.
However, these concerns treat the workplace like a closed system, where one person’s gain is another’s loss. In reality, authentic flexibility is a capacity builder, rather than a finite resource to be rationed. When we design for the one-in-five who are neurodivergent, we inadvertently build a more dynamic and supportive environment for the rest of the workforce.
For example, a quiet space for sensory regulation is as vital to a neurotypical, sleep-deprived parent as it is to an autistic engineer.
Going forward, competitive advantage will belong to companies that shift their focus from special accommodations for a few to inclusive systems that work for all. In an authentically flexible work context, policy is designed to be accessible by default, and employees should be given autonomy over their own work, in line with their roles and responsibilities.
Companies can continue to treat flexibility as a burden, or they can embrace the idea that by designing for the neurodivergent brain, they can engineer more resilient, efficient, creative and productive workplaces for all.
Dr Laura Gormley is Assistant Professor at the School of Inclusive and Special Education in DCU. Dr Aoife Brennan is Associate Professor and Head of School of Inclusive and Special Education at DCU.
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