THE GENERATION THAT ASKS
Gen Z employees request flexible or reduced schedules (46%), shift changes (32%), and remote work (26%) for neurodiversity-related needs. They lead on mental health accommodations (31%) and are the first generation to cite neurodiversity – ADHD, autism, dyslexia – as a significant driver (11%). Older generations accessed neurodiversity-related accommodations at much lower rates (AbsenceSoft 2026 Leave and Accommodations Employee Experience Report, source ). This isn't Gen Z inventing a problem. It's Gen Z naming one the rest of us were told to hide. I'm 52. I was diagnosed autistic in my 40s, after years of working around sensory overload, executive function gaps, and social-communication deficits I had no name for and no right to acknowledge. I didn't ask for accommodations because I didn't know they existed, and the few times I tried to explain what I needed, the answer was "everyone has to deal with difficult coworkers" or "that's just how open...