Stammering At Work

A guide for anyone who stammers for getting on and succeeding in your job.

The world of work can create great new opportunities. But there are also pretty daunting speaking challenges if you stammer. Read below for tips and ideas for making things easier.

Are you having a specific issue at work or with job hunting? Contact our Employment Service and we can help.

On this page:

Telling colleagues you stammer
Asking for 'Reasonable adjustments'
Using the phone
Meetings 
Presentations 
Video calls
Working from home
Start a support network 
STAMMA's Employment Service 

Telling colleagues you stammer

Your colleagues may or may not have noticed that you stammer. They might feel wary about bringing it up with you, unsure how you'd react. But it can help to talk to them about it. They probably have no idea what it's like to stammer or the impact it has on your daily life. If you can, help them understand.

Maybe start with a sympathetic colleague or talk to your manager. Be honest about areas of work you have concerns about. They could include things like using the phone or giving presentations. 

Let your manager and colleagues know how they can support you. Send them links to In Conversation With Someone Who Stammers and our Guide For Employers.

Asking for 'Reasonable adjustments'

Some aspects of your job were most likely not created with any thought for your stammer. As a result they can be putting you at a disadvantage and making things really hard.

As a person who stammers you have the right to ask for 'reasonable adjustments' at work. These are changes that employers can make to your job to accommodate your stammer.

Reasonable adjustment examples

Different adjustments work for different people. Ask for changes that you would find helpful. For example, you could ask for:

• the option to use a quiet room to use the phone
• the option to work flexibly and from home when speech is difficult
• the option to have 'non-speaking days' where interaction is mainly via email or Teams
• a mentor or senior champion to check in with and reverse mentor
• your manager or colleagues to introduce you to new clients
• extra training, such as a public speaking course
• disability leave to attend speech & language therapy or related therapy
• your employer to cover costs of going on a stammering course.

We've got loads more examples in our 'Reasonable adjustments: a guide for employees' download below. 

I see reasonable adjustments as a set of practices that facilitate me to do my job effectively, whether I stammer or not.

Read about the adjustments Claire asked for in her job.

Getting reasonable adjustments

Think of what reasonable adjustments you would like, then speak to your employer about them. 

You could download our Reasonable adjustments form to fill out and give them instead. Or you could also use that to think through which adjustments you would like.

You might be worried about telling your employer you stammer. But they should be happy to help if they know their ways of working are making things difficult.

If you are still worried, or if you have any questions, contact our Employment Support Service. We can discuss things with you.

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Caption

Babszie & Bhupinder

Are employers legally bound to make these?

Yes, this is where the Equality Act 2010 and the Disability Discrimination Act (N. Ireland) come in. These Acts are laws that protect people with disabilities from being discriminated against. So, employers should make reasonable adjustments so that they're not being discriminatory. But your managers should want you to feel comfortable in your job so that you can fulfil your potential.

You might be wondering: is stammering a disability? Under the Acts, stammering can be classed as a disability if it affects your daily life. Even if you don't regard yourself as disabled, you can still get reasonable adjustments.

Using the phone

Even if you communicate mostly via email, there are times when you just have to pick up the phone. This can be especially daunting if you work in an open plan office with others listening in.

See our tips for Using The Phone If You Stammer.

Download our 'Reasonable adjustments: a guide for employees' below. It has a list of things you can ask your employer to change.

Meetings

"Let's go round the room and everyone can introduce themselves." Do these familiar words fill you with dread? If so, you're not alone. 

Meetings come in all shapes and sizes: face-to-face, virtual, one-to-one or in a group. Whatever the type of meeting, they can be challenging if you stammer. 

But you have the right to express your views just as much as everyone else in the room. 

Here are some tips.

Before the meeting

• What do you want to get out of the meeting? Set yourself some goals to review afterwards.
• Preparation is key. Get familiar with any information sent out before the meeting and jot down any points you want to make.

During the meeting

• Be proactive and volunteer to speak first — if you can — to get your turn over with. 
• If it feels comfortable, mention your stammer as part of your introduction. For instance, something like: "I stammer sometimes so it might take a bit longer to say what I have to say".
• If it's hard to break into the conversation, use a gesture to show that you'd like to speak. Or just say "Excuse me".
• If people interrupt you when you stammer, ask for more time to speak.
• It's OK to say less; it's the quality of your contribution that counts, not the quantity.  

After the meeting

• Review your goals: what went well? What could you do differently next time? Be kind to yourself, talk to yourself as you would a close friend.
• Ask for feedback from a trusted colleague.
• If there was an important point you didn't manage to make in the meeting, include it in an email to the Chair.

Download our 'Reasonable adjustments: a guide for employees' below for ways to get help with meetings. Watch a webinar on 'Participating in meetings successfully'. It's from the US-based National Stuttering Association.

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Caption

Bhupinder

Presentations

Presenting 'well' isn't about how fluent you are. Lots of people who don't stammer bore or confuse their listeners. Audiences will be engaged by the content and thread of your presentation.

See our tips for Presentations & Public Speaking.

Download our 'Reasonable adjustments: a guide for employees' below for ways to get help with presentations at work.

Video calls

Video calls and meetings using Zoom or Teams can be difficult when you stammer. 

People speaking over each other and technical issues can add to the anxiety. Seeing yourself stammer on screen might be difficult to watch.

Tips for video calls

If it feels comfortable, telling others on the call that you stammer can take some pressure off you. Explain that you might need more time to speak. 

You might want people to know you stammer but would rather not tell them face to face. One option is to download one of our self-advertising backgrounds that says it for you. Or, ask the person chairing the meeting to tell others beforehand.

Use the hands-up function. This way, if you are finding it hard to break into a conversation, you can show you have something to contribute. 

Seeing yourself stammering on screen might feel uncomfortable. Or it might feel like all eyes will be on you if you stammer, making you anxious about their reactions. 

You can hide your self-view so that you don't have to see yourself, while others still can. Hover over your video then click on the three dots (...) to display the menu. Then click 'Hide self-view' or 'Hide for me'.

Download our 'Reasonable adjustments: a guide for employees' below for ways to get help with video calls.

Working from home

With more people working remotely, you might not be speaking as much as you once were. This might be great for some but others may feel more isolated. 

You might miss being able to chat with colleagues. Or feel like you're not expanding your comfort zones or getting a chance to practise a technique.

If you feel like that, why not see if there's a stammering group in your area. Or, you could call our free helpline and chat with one of our volunteers.

Join or start a support network

Stammering support networks are becoming more and more common in the workplace. These are groups where you can connect with others who stammer and get support. 

Find out if there is already a network in your workplace. Or, email communities@stamma.org to find out how you can start one in your place of work.

You can also join the STAMMA at Work Facebook Group. It's a space where you can discuss issues relating to stammering and employment.

STAMMA's Employment Service

Do you have any issues about stammering at work? Do you want your organisation to become more inclusive for staff who stammer? We can help. 

Contact our Employment Service. We'll discuss your concerns and explore ways we can support you. Email us at employmentsupport@stamma.org Or phone our free helpline on 0808 802 0002 or start a webchat.

Bullying & discrimination

If you are experiencing workplace bullying, see Bullying At Work. If you think you have been discriminated against, see our Advocacy Service.

What next?

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