Worker with ADHD

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118616022#Comment_118616022

It is not really affecting what I am doing which is sort of a hobby. There are real issues I wanted his help with but that faded pretty quickly. If I can throw him a bit of work doing set tasks I will but it was never a full time thing. It was just meant to be a stepping stone to a proper job. He isn't capable of either at the moment and it appears to be more than ADHD.

He has been of use just took more effort from my side than I want or need. If I had been given the chance to do what I was offering at his age I would have jumped at it. Cataloguing music, video games, comics etc... making things, learning new skills etc... THing is he has trouble reading so can't alphabetize and can't really learn either and more importantly to me he doesn't seem to even try but it seems this him actually trying.

Dr Bob

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058228793/worker-with-adhd

Fair play to you for taking him on . I have ADHD (was diagnosed as a kid back in the 80s , but it was never treated and my parents were pretty much told I'd grow out of it..lol) , was re-diagnosed in my 30s and it explained an awful lot of things I'd struggled with . I dropped out of college and had a lot of jobs before I got into one that fit . Best thing I can say is ..you know the way its easier to focus on things you like rather than things that are boring ..well if you have ADHD that's multiplied by a thousand..so in my case (I worked as a salesman for a few years in Harry Moores/Dixons) I knew about every possible thing to do with the TVs/Hifis computers etc we sold , and I was pretty good at selling , but the stocktaking , paperwork and even cash desk side of things was a nightmare for me , as I'd just keep messing up . Also I was always late as I misjudged times constantly (i.e. not giving enough time to get in , leaving for work late , missing busses), a few times I turned up on my scheduled day off by mistake , or was in bed to get a call that I was supposed to be in the shop. Now to most people a list would help a lot , but the worst part is I'd lose the list , or forget to add to it! Nowadays I pretty much rely on google calendar to track what I'm doing (as I can just tell my phone to add a reminder) ..but even then I forget things half the time.

Two things , firstly maybe check with the family if he has been officially diagnosed with ADHD , if he is they should have been some work on time management (which is the worst thing in the world for ADHD), if not it may be that he has something else (like Autism spectrum etc) which needs a different approach .

Second thing is that procrastination and really bad time management are parts of ADD , so people with it (especially young adults) dont thrive well in 'open' situations and need micromanagement (which probably isn't much use to you , sorry) , unless the area of work is one they're interested in , in which case you're in luck as they'll hyperfocus on work so much that you'll have trouble sending them home in the evening.

At the end of the day its not up to you to employ him if he doesn't suit the role so fair play for even going this far.

Lastly I personally think this thread shouldn't have been moved , Attention Deficit Disorder is a recognised DSM condition ,not a personal issue ,but admittedly I'm closer to the subject than others may be .(oh and dont get me started on the 'kick in the arse , sort it out' idiots ..that was what was done in the old days , and just made the problem "go away" as the sufferers ended up either too afraid to speak up and suffered in silence , or just so depressed they dropped out of the workforce)

cloudatlas

You need to be careful here, if you let him go you have to check that your reasoning is sound as you could be accused of unfair discrimination based on their disability.

Big Bag of Chips

The lad has been given a few hours to keep him occupied, and give him something to do. I doubt unfair dismissal would come into it here, OP. He's on a trial with you for a few weeks. If the trial doesn't work out, you are not obliged to keep him on. You have plenty of evidence to support your decision.

Disability or not, you should not have to keep a worker on your books if they are totally incapable of doing the job. If that was the case, nobody would ever hire a disabled person because they'd be too afraid of not being able to reprimand/dismiss them if necessary.

Turning up to a job 3 hours late, or not at all, is completely unacceptable. You're not a charity case. If he is incapable of basic time keeping then he has family to assist him. At 18, he now needs to start learning those skills and techniques for functioning on daily life for himself.

Unfair dismissal is not something that applies in the situation. So please don't let that frighten you.

I do hope the young lad works out for you, for his own sake. But don't take on the responsibility of him. Are you going to have to mind him until he eventually retires?!

Furze99

Reads to me like more than ADHD going on, it's not as if he's being asked to sit in an office or classroom situation. Doing practical hands on work that requires moving around and so on. Some/ many people benefit from role models and doesn't sound like he has a great role model in his home life.

PoisonIvyBelle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118613573#Comment_118613573

If you do give him more work, I'd recommend to focus it on just one specific task per day. No lists. No going picking things. No distractions. Just one task and a time to complete it by.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118613573#Comment_118613573

Gets to skip the boring tedious work and still get to do/be trained in interesting craftwork. Mastercraftsman coming in early to set up the workshop for the apprentice, who may or may not come into work at all. Please, for your own sake, let this manchild go

PoisonIvyBelle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118644893#Comment_118644893

People with ADHD find it extremely difficult/impossible to stay focused on tasks they are not 100% interested in. This isn't a choice, they simply cannot focus. In contrast, if they have an interest in something they will hyperfocus and can perform brilliantly. If he has an interest in craftswork then that is the best option for him and would be a great opportunity in which he may excel.

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118644893#Comment_118644893

I came here to try and understand his situation and see if I could work with him. As of now I believe I can. Really don't appreciate what you are saying because it doesn't consider the circumstances and what I want to do. It might not work out but it is my time to waste. He is only 18 so some of this stuff is just normal immaturity. There is not much more to this thread so if can probably closed.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647909#Comment_118647909

I hope you and Ray are right but suggest hyperfocus is a controversial symptom because there is currently limited scientific evidence that it exists. Ray you come across as a great person and i hope the young man flourishes under your direction. Suggest ask the young man gets a letter from his gp saying he is medically fit for the work involved

Big Bag of Chips

Locked as per OP's request.