Neuroinclusion isn't just the right thing to do. It's a financial imperative. Replacing one employee costs up to nine months of their salary. Disability discrimination tribunal awards are uncapped. ADHD-related tribunal cases have risen 8.5-fold in five years. In this episode, Leah breaks down what neurodivergent exclusion is costing your organisation right now, and what you gain by getting it right.
Episode Length: 29 minutes
In This Episode:
Opening: The Cost of Getting This WrongReplacing an employee costs six to nine months of their salary. At least 20% of your team are neurodivergent. CIPD research shows neurodivergent employees are more likely to leave due to lack of support. For a 50-person organisation, just three neurodivergent staff leaving over five years costs between £52,500 and £79,000 in turnover alone. That excludes lost institutional knowledge, team disruption, and the opportunity cost of what those people could have contributed.
You're Losing Your Best ThinkersThe people leaving aren't random staff. They're your pattern recognisers, systems thinkers, and crisis problem solvers. JP Morgan Chase found neurodivergent employees were 90 to 140% more productive than neurotypical peers in matched roles. You may have brilliant people working at half capacity, exhausted by systems that don't work for their brains.
The Legal RiskNeurodivergent employees are protected under the Equality Act 2010. Disability discrimination awards are uncapped. The average award in 2022 to 2023 was over £45,000. Recent cases include a £4.6 million award against Hammersmith and Fulham Council for dismissing an employee with ADHD, and over £70,000 paid by Marks and Spencer to a Dyslexic employee marked down for spelling errors caused by her Dyslexia. ADHD-related tribunal decisions have risen 8.5-fold in five years. Being a charity does not protect you. Historical data shows the voluntary sector accounts for 2 to 3% of the UK workforce but 6% of employment tribunal cases.
What You Gain by Getting It RightMicrosoft's Neurodiversity Hiring Programme reported a 95% retention rate. Deloitte found inclusive teams outperform peers by 80%. Neuroinclusive practices, clear communication, better meeting structures, flexible working, improve systems for everyone. Building a reputation for neuroinclusion makes you an employer of choice for 20% of the workforce your competitors are still excluding.
What To Do This WeekLook at your turnover data from the last three years. Think about staff on stress-related absence. Consider your innovation gaps. These are all potentially linked to neurodivergent exclusion. Then ask what reducing turnover by even 5% would mean for your budget and your mission.
Key Takeaways:
- Replacing an employee costs six to nine months of their salary. Neurodivergent employees are more likely to leave non-inclusive organisations
- Disability discrimination awards are uncapped. ADHD-related cases have risen 8.5-fold in five years. Charities face higher tribunal risk than their workforce share suggests
- The adjustments that prevent most tribunal cases are simple and inexpensive. The cost of getting it wrong vastly exceeds the cost of getting it right
- Neuroinclusive practices improve systems for everyone, not just neurodivergent staff
- Neuroinclusion requires strategic, expert-supported investment. You cannot add it to someone's already full workload and hope for the best
Resources:
About the Host:Leah Milner-Campbell is a former charity CEO and neuroinclusion specialist. She's Autistic, ADHD, Dyscalculic and Dyspraxic, and works with purpose-driven organisations to understand and support neurodivergent leaders and staff, so they can build workplace cultures where everyone thrives.
