To find it ridiculous that my work is encouraging those with neurodivergence to add details of their neurodivergence to their email signatures “so colleagues can accommodate your needs?”

[SnugShaker]

I get the intention behind it but it just feels like an uncomfortable and unnecessary step. Why should employees be expected to disclose their neurodivergence in a public way, especially when it could lead to unwanted assumptions or even stigma? There’s a line between creating an inclusive environment and putting the burden of disclosure on individuals, and it seems like this might be crossing that line. Shouldn’t accommodations be handled in a more private, respectful way without having to broadcast personal information?

This shows why blanket solutions like email signatures can end up being more performative than practical. Complex adjustments can’t be made meaningfully via a passive footnote in an email. If people genuinely need accommodations, the responsible approach is to have those needs considered through proper access to work assessments or HR channels, not expect every colleague to hold a running mental spreadsheet of who needs what in every group email. The risk is that these gestures become tick-box exercises that feel supportive in theory but collapse under the realities of actual workflow.

So what if she is? I wouldn't like it either. Why should I feel 'coerced' into disclosing something about myself that I might not want to?

I received a work email yesterday with “fuelled by dyslexia, expect strange spelling” and more which I can’t remember. If it was that person’s wish to have it then great but I’d hate to feel they were told to, especially with the “bright and breezy” wording.

I have struggled to scroll down this thread on my phone because of the bright blue vrbo advert at the top which flashes manically as I scroll. Stopping things like that would be more useful for inclusion.

Not everyone who is ND works in the kind of environment that this would even suit. And where does it end? I work in retail - should I wear a T shirt with 'She/Her, ADHD, please don't talk to me before 7am and expect effusive descriptions of everything in the shop if you ask me about eggs'?

Those who need to know, know already. We don't all have the luxury of putting our preferences in an email signature line!

OP if they’re bringing pressure to bear to disclose they’re breaking the law. The decision to disclose, even to the employer is voluntary and any compulsion is a breach of he Equality Act 2010.

Mine would say

"I am very spicy brain and please bear in mind the following in order to maintain optimum and cordial working relationship, thanks in advance"

"IHYUIHH3rdC",
"DNFPMOTTTMTYAGTSMAE"
"DNFPMOTTTMTYSMAE"

Preferred communications mode :

1. Email
2. Teams-text only please
3. Voice (only use in emergency)

(I hate you until I've had 3rd coffee)
(Do not fucking ping me on teams to tell me that you are going to send me an email)
(Do not fucking ping me on teams to tell me that you sent me an email)

Exactly, and this is why consent and control are so important. What starts as a ‘kind gesture’ or ‘optional inclusion’ can quickly shift workplace norms around disclosure. For many people, especially those with hidden disabilities or marginalised identities, visibility can often be a double-edged sword. There’s often a gap between what’s positioned as supportive and how that information might be quietly used later, especially in times of organisational stress like restructures or conflicts. Your dad’s advice isn’t paranoid, it’s strategic. Employers have a duty to create safe environments but that doesn’t mean employees owe them their full personal story in every email footer.

This kind of comment is funny on the surface but it does highlight how quickly a well-meant initiative can veer into confusion or performance. If people start treating neurodivergent disclosures like credentials or punchlines, it risks undermining those who genuinely need understanding to work well. The line between inclusivity and absurdity gets blurry when there’s no clarity on purpose or boundaries.

Don't be ridiculous 80-85% of the population are not neurodiverse - and neurodiverse includes people with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ASD and ADHD.

DS would hate this OP, his boss knows he has ASD but he hasn't told anyone else. He would not want to be declaring it in every email! He is very well supported at work (not that he needs any, but if he did) but it's proper support not this performative sort of stuff.

On every thread like this there are always people who don't know why they should 'tie themselves up in a pretzel' or whatever nonsense to have to accommodate someone else's needs. So I think being forced to out yourself as ND could be a really negative thing and at best is unlikely to get you any support anyway. Apart from maybe dyslexia which seems to generally be more palatable and better understood I find.

Exactly, that’s part of the concern. Not every workplace is set up to implement this fairly or meaningfully. The idea might come from a good place but if it only works for white-collar email-based environments, it risks being exclusionary in a different way. The pressure to self-disclose should never fall more heavily on those with fewer protections or options. It’s why this can’t just be about personal choice, the structural dynamics matter too.

Could the colleague be the one to write up the action points though? That shares the load - the manager shares an agenda/purpose of meeting, and other colleagues writes it up afterwards and shares it. This then enables the manager to see that the colleague gas a clear understanding of the required actions.

Your Employer needs to be extremely careful: GDPR rules mean that if you were to send an Email to someone external and it happened to include those personal details, they, and the person sending the mails would be liable for prosecution!

Same- most people just say that their working hours may be different and please email back at a time which suits you. no need to add in adhd or anything else really, it’s quite normal to have different working patterns to 9-5.

my work signature is already ridiculous. It has to be bilingual which I understand but literally everything, even the address is on there twice in Welsh and English. Then a big sticker that says people can write back to me in English or Welsh (in English and Welsh). And another one to say we are a dementia friendly workplace (in English and Welsh). Luckily nothing about pronouns so far. I can’t imagine anyone would even look at any more info re disabilities on there because there’s already so much shite after my name

also, I don’t want to be bombarded with emails from people telling me all the different ways they prefer to receive emails. I don’t have time. I’ll write it in my own way and they can use co pilot to bullet point if they need it or stop alerts until a certain time if it needs to not arrive at a certain time etc

I don’t think it’s fair also for people to feel they need to disclose personal information. Do all ND diagnoses count? Could I put my OCD on there? Can you be self diagnosed? I think this is a system that could be hugely abused with people self diagnosing and demanding things be in a certain way for their needs. Totally taking away from the people they probably wanted to help in the first place

Yes, I agree. X

It absolutely should not be compulsory, but I can see how voluntarily it can be useful, as with the dyslexia example. I definitely appreciate mails thst tell me Julie doesn't work on Tuesdays or Thursdays and Dan does not work normal 9-5 hours. I don't actually care why they have those different hours, but knowing about them means I won't arrange a meeting for 9am Tuesday when neither is there, which would waste us all time. So I see the value in helping people to work more effectively together.

I probably wouldn't expect someone to tell me that they suffer badly from anxiety in an email signature, but if we had to work closely together, then a private message where we could talk about how best to accommodate it would be fine. But you shouldn't always need to tell the world.

My signature currently shows forthcoming leave. This probably will not prevent people booking meetings then anyway, because most people don't tend to read signatures, myself included - I only tend to look at them if I want a phone number or alternative contact.

I have heard those figures too.

There are loads of adults (I include myself in this) who successfully work and are probably autistic but not diagnosed.

I don't know how well these statistics stand up against what it means to be autistic today.

But, it highlights that problem that those with higher sipport needs, won't be helped by an email signature. They need a proper plan with continued support to access and remain in work.

I am ND (ADHD) and never tell anyone in a professional capacity. It doesn't affect my work (not these days - it used to a LOT but now I WFH F/T so nobody can see my work process, it doesn't matter at all) and I feel like there's more potential for disclosing it to do harm than good. Lots of people don't really understand ND conditions. I am sure that, rather than making allowances, people would baulk at me saying I have ADHD and think I'll be disorganised and chaotic and won't deliver on time (which doesn't happen because of my many, many coping mechanisms!).

Some wanker in HR gets paid loads to put this in place

Why dont you just tell people that then, what do you mean by masking

If you find things easier delivered a certain format, just say that?

It sounds well meaning, but I also think creating pressure for staff to declare their disability is not on. I think you should send constructive feedback about it, it sounds like a workplace where a committee somewhere would take that on board?

Edit: to add, the best way of supporting inclusion in this area would be for best practice to be shared about ensuring all communication is accessible - from formatting to providing paperwork in advance of meetings, and so on. Make your comms suitable for all in other words. This is a backward way of going about it.

What has ADHD got to do with it though?

Most people these days have an automated alert on their emails that say 'Im sending this outside of working hours but do not expect at reply in those hours'

Thats all that needs to be said, why wave a condition around?

What is the point of it though, what purpose does it serve?

The people or person that needs to know your needs and make reasonable adjudstments for it within your working environment is your manager

The poor bloke at the end of the email receiving an announcement that the sendee has ADHD or ND undefined needs for undefined adjustments is going to do what?

I take your point but how would you put all that in an email Signature?

The place my DP works at had this in place for a while. His email signature just said "I am an autistic employee" with a link to what autism is. Nothing about his own specific accommodations (which would only be the knowledge of OH, HR and his line manager). He is not sure he found it useful. He would still get email replies saying he was giving too much detail about things.
But you meet one person with autism, then you have met one person with autism.
Some PP have said that it would be useful so people can email them in a specific format that that they find easier to digest... but then you might have to email someone else who is ND who who wants a format that you yourself struggle with.

I know someone who has to have their pronouns in their signature, and also a list 3 positive attributes that they have