Managing performance and absence is a challenge for any organisation, but it becomes especially complex when neurodiversity is involved. Without a clear understanding of neurodivergent differences and their impact on work, HR professionals, line managers, and colleagues can struggle to apply fair and effective approaches.
At Creased Puddle, we’ve found that a vast majority of our Workplace Needs Assessments arise directly from performance and absence management concerns. What these assessments often reveal is that individuals are extremely stressed, experiencing burnout, and are dysregulated, often through no fault of their own but due to a lack of understanding and appropriate adjustments. They find themselves in Performance Improvement measures, which often look to hold neurodivergent employees to neurotypical standards, with little to no mention of reasonable adjustments.
City & Guilds’ annual Neurodiversity Index (2025) found that half of neurodivergent employees have taken time off work due to their neurodivergence. When employees take time off due to unmanaged performance or absence issues, they’re not just away from their desks, they are not in your workplaces, supporting your workforce, or contributing their skills and knowledge. This absence often impacts team dynamics, productivity and overall organisational success.
Our 1-hour webinar, as part of our Neurodiversity Summer Camp, offers practical solutions and tools to help you:
- Understand the diverse ways neurodivergence can affect work performance and attendance
- Communicate these challenges clearly and sensitively within formal and informal management frameworks
- Recognise when formal performance management is needed and when informal support might be more appropriate
- Support employees as they transition back to work after absence, with tailored adjustments
- Implement reasonable adjustments consistently throughout performance and absence processes, helping employees thrive rather than simply cope
Neurodivergent people often experience workplace stress differently, with unique needs around communication, sensory environments, and routine. Ignoring these factors risks unfairly penalising staff and losing valuable talent.
This webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and confidence to manage performance and absence in ways that are fair, practical, and inclusive, ensuring neurodivergent employees receive the support they need while maintaining team and organisational goals.
Our neurodiversity for line Managers and supervisors and neurodiversity for HR workshops perfectly compliment this webinar, and for those looking to deepen their understanding of workplace adjustments, our reasonable adjustments webinar offers focused guidance on implementing effective support.
Every day an employee is away is a day your team loses valuable expertise and momentum. Join us to find out more about practical strategies and tools to support neurodivergent employees through performance and absence challenges, helping to create a more inclusive and resilient workplace.
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