Why are neurodiversity tribunals on the rise and what does this mean for UK employers?
Neurodiversity is no longer a sideline inclusion issue. It’s a core business concern, with mounting legal, operational, and reputational risks for organisations that fail to act.
According to the City & Guilds Neurodiversity Report 2025, 1 in 10 organisations have already faced tribunal or legal action related to neurodiversity conflicts and this figure is climbing. These are not isolated incidents; they reflect a systemic challenge that traditional HR approaches are unequipped to handle.
For senior leaders, HR professionals, and inclusion leads, the message is clear: reactive responses are no longer enough. The time to act is now – before risk escalates.
Why Are Neurodiversity Tribunals on the Rise?
The increase in tribunal cases is driven by three converging trends:
- Greater Awareness and Advocacy: Neurodivergent individuals are increasingly confident in disclosing their needs — and are more likely to challenge discriminatory or exclusionary treatment.
- Inadequate Internal Policies: Many organisations lack clear, consistent processes for neuroinclusion, leaving decisions to manager discretion and creating legal vulnerability.
- Manager Capability Gaps: Line managers often feel underprepared and unsupported in managing neurodiverse team members. This results in miscommunication, missed adjustments, and escalating tensions.
The result? Grievances that could be resolved internally escalate into formal proceedings, or worse – public tribunal cases.
What’s at Stake?
The impact of a neurodiversity-related tribunal extends far beyond legal fees.
Reputational Damage
Tribunal cases generate negative PR and employer brand risk. Candidates check Glassdoor before applying and employees talk. One case can signal to the market that your culture isn’t as inclusive as your website suggests.
Operational Disruption
HR teams and managers become entangled in case management, resulting in drained focus from long-term improvement work. Meanwhile, employee trust quietly erodes.
Legal and Financial Exposure
Settlements, legal representation, and the internal time cost of managing proceedings can run into six figures. Additionally, the hidden toll on wellbeing and morale across affected teams.
Managing neurodiversity through one-off training or reactive accommodations, undoubtedly leaves your organisation exposed to legal risk.
The Real Cost of “Reactive Inclusion”
Too often, neurodiversity inclusion is seen as a comms moment, an awareness month webinar or a set of intranet resources. However, awareness alone doesn’t protect against neurodiversity tribunals. What’s needed is a systemic shift – embedding inclusion into the very operations, processes, and policies of the organisation.
Here’s what happens when you don’t:
- Managers make inconsistent decisions about adjustments.
- HR teams scramble to interpret vague policies under pressure.
- Employees feel unsupported, disengaged, or actively excluded.
- Misunderstandings snowball into formal grievances or legal action.
This is the cost of reactive inclusion: it’s expensive, inefficient, and unsafe.
The Shift Leaders Need to Make
Preventing neurodiversity tribunal risk requires moving from a reactive to a proactive model – embedding inclusive practice at every level of the organisation.
That means four things:
Clear policies
Easy-to-understand, consistently applied neuroinclusion policies that remove ambiguity for managers and employees alike.
Manager Confidence
Regular, structured training to ensure line managers know how to make adjustments, build trust, and have the right conversations.
Measurable Outcomes
Dashboards, audits, and feedback loops that track what’s working and what’s not.
A Trusted Support System
A single, structured approach that reduces risk and builds capability without overwhelming your internal teams.
Why Now?
The regulatory environment is shifting. New frameworks like the EU CSRD are placing neurodiversity on the compliance radar. But more than that – employees are watching. Boards are asking tougher questions. Investors are looking for credible ESG performance.
Organisations that wait for a tribunal case before taking action will find themselves reacting from behind – legally, reputationally, and culturally.
Those that act now, however, have a unique opportunity to lead. To show their people, stakeholders, and the market that they are serious about inclusion – and serious about getting it right.
What’s the Solution?
We know change can feel daunting. That’s why we built NeuroBridge®, the structured neuroinclusion system that helps organisations move from scattered efforts to sustained, scalable impact.
NeuroBridge works by embedding capability – not just content – across your people, processes, and platform. In Year One, our clients see measurable reductions in legal exposure, clear improvements in line manager confidence, and stronger employee trust.
NeuroBridge isn’t a toolkit or awareness programme. It’s a system that protects your business, empowers your people, and lays the foundation for scalable, inclusive capability.
Take the First Step
Proactive neuroinclusion doesn’t just reduce risk – it builds stronger, more future-ready organisations.
Download our free HR Leader’s Guide: “Protecting Your Organisation from Tribunal Risk”.
Understand key legal risks related to neurodivergence in the workplace
Identify common gaps in policies, processes, and culture
Take clear steps to protect your organisation and create a safer, more inclusive environment
