Should I request role change?

[pandarific]

I’m pretty sure I have ADHD/ASD and have been aware of it for years, but am one of those people who have masked so heavily I have got into a career with a lot of talking to corporate clients, and also now the company has changed hands, more pressure and targets.

I was always able to manage it and was pretty good at it but I didn’t have two small children then and I found the job interesting and also had the capacity and energy to stay late every night to work in quiet.

It’s fair to say that things have changed, and I honestly can’t find enough energy to give to masking to be good at this particular role - all the presentations and talking to clients etc…

I was considering asking if there is another role I could do which is less client facing - I have absolutely no idea what - but I wondered if I could get the diagnosis, share it with them and see if they had another role I could do, under reasonable accommodations? Reading this back it sounds entitled and like a ‘probably not and probably not good to ask’ but. Idk.

Have been at the company 6 years by the way. And they have said they value people piping up about wanting to work in different parts of the business but I believe that is about enriching blah blah curiosity blah blah passion and drive rather than ‘help cannot talk to people’

Businesses tend to like it when they are presented with solutions as opposed to problems. I wouldn't go to management until I had figured out what exactly I wanted and whether it would work for the company (or else find myself another job as it has to work for both parties). Can you ask for a junior to help with the presentation prep and delivery? It could be a way of training someone else to help as the company grows, they work with you a year and then get promoted and you get a new junior. Or can you figure out some clients that can be taken 'inside' to manage that don't require the presentations, or .... have a look around and have a solution ready before the approach.

Being redeployed into a different role can be a reasonable adjustment. However the definition of disability is based on the impact of your condition, not a diagnosis.

I think the conversation would be more likely to be fruitful if you had a role in mind and could support the case for your redeployment being reasonable.

It could take a long time to get a diagnosis, especially if you go NHS. I waited 18 months for my Autism assessment. Doesn’t sound like you could wait that long before moving?
I think it’s worth discussing. I moved roles last year and I find it better (NHS But instead of being always patient facing I do a mix of admin and patient clinics now).