How to Cope with OCD in the Workplace: Practical Strategies
Blog
10.28.2026
_Authored by__Matt Boyer, MD, FASAM__, presented in collaboration with__Rogers Behavioral Health_
### Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) doesn’t stop when someone walks into the office.
Symptoms can sometimes affect work in ways that others may not recognize or understand.
#### How can OCD show up in the workplace?
An employee may:
Check an email repeatedly to make sure it’s perfect before sending it.
Reread a report many times.
Arrive late for a meeting because of an extensive hand-washing ritual.
Avoid handshakes.
Need a barrier to touch a doorknob.
Walk in and out of offices repeatedly or retrace their steps.
#### What are common challenges someone with OCD faces in the workplace?
OCD can slow someone down because of compulsive behaviors, such as repeated checking or a need for things to feel “just right.” Without an understanding of OCD, coworkers or managers may misread these behaviors as procrastination, carelessness, incompetence, or laziness.
The irony is that many people with OCD are highly conscientious. Yet, they may be perceived as the opposite because obsessions and compulsive behaviors can be distracting and time-consuming.
Jobs that require precision or have high stakes may be especially challenging for people with OCD. Obsessions can impact the concentration needed to focus on work tasks, while compulsions can prevent timely completion of tasks. Research shows that OCD can significantly interfere with work productivity and performance.
#### How can someone talk to their employer about OCD without fear of stigma or discrimination?
Employees with OCD can choose to disclose their diagnosis to their employer. Disclosure may allow them to request accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, disclosure comes with a loss of privacy around personal information. The decision to disclose is ultimately a personal one.
Before making that decision, it can be helpful to consider how OCD symptoms are affecting work tasks and performance. Questions to consider include:
Are checking rituals making it difficult to complete tasks?
Are obsessions related to perfectionism delaying important decisions?
Are contamination obsessions leading to avoidance of certain situations?
Which work tasks take the most time because of OCD?
When during the workday are OCD symptoms the worst?
Understanding these challenges can help an employee identify strategies to implement, determine whether workplace accommodations might be helpful, and discuss treatment options with an OCD clinician to develop a plan to manage OCD symptoms at work.
#### What should employees with OCD know about workplace accommodations?
If an employee discloses a diagnosis of OCD to their employer, the employer may request documentation from a treating clinician to better understand how OCD is impacting job performance. The employer and employee can then have a collaborative conversation about accommodations that may be helpful. Before starting that conversation, it’s worth reflecting on what one change would make the biggest difference. That will be your starting point. Many reasonable accommodations don’t cost the employer anything. Examples include:
A flexible work schedule around therapy appointments to reduce barriers to accessing treatment.
Written instructions in addition to verbal instructions, so the employee can refer to information as needed
Scheduled breaks for symptom management or treatment strategies.
Education for supervisors about OCD and how it may affect employees at work.
Having a single point person for clarifying work expectations rather than seeking reassurance from multiple people.
The Job Accommodation Network is a free resource with guidance on requesting accommodations. The website includes examples of accommodations for people with OCD.
Employees may also work with their clinicians to identify which strategies are likely to help them function effectively at work. Eliminating every OCD trigger or uncertainty is not the goal. Instead, the goal is to tackle responsibilities without OCD dictating decisions and behaviors. Accommodations should be individualized and are intended to support the employee’s ability to function at work while pursuing recovery.
If an employee decides to disclose their OCD diagnosis to their employer, it’s important to remember that employers must keep medical information confidential under the ADA. For example, if disclosure is made to human resources, information shared with a supervisor is generally limited to what is needed to implement accommodations.
If OCD symptoms are severe enough that a higher level of care is needed, human resources can help to explain options such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and short-term disability.
#### How can colleagues support someone with OCD?
Colleagues can support an employee with OCD in many of the same ways they would support any other coworker who is struggling. They can cover responsibilities when an employee needs to leave early for a therapy appointment and offer kindness, patience, and understanding.
Employees with OCD can explain to their colleagues that they’re practicing ways to manage uncertainty and working to reduce or eliminate reassurance seeking if they feel comfortable doing so.
#### What are practical daily strategies to manage OCD in the workplace?
The goal is to learn that it is possible to move forward without completing rituals or using avoidance even when OCD creates doubt or discomfort. One helpful strategy is to identify the urge to perform a ritual when it occurs. For example, if OCD is saying re-read an email for a fifth, tenth, or twentieth time, I would encourage them to:
Acknowledge that the urge is coming from OCD.
Follow their usual review process rather than rereading to relieve OCD-related anxiety.
Notice the discomfort and allow yourself to sit with it while resisting the urge to engage in the ritual of re-reading.
Return your attention to the next task even if discomfort lingers.
With time, people with OCD can learn that they can tolerate discomfort and uncertainty without performing rituals. This process is central to exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), which is highly effective in treating OCD and helping people manage their symptoms.
Here are some additional strategies to consider:
1. Set limits on rituals. Sticking with the email example, decide in advance how many times to review an email. Then send it, even if there’s discomfort and an urge to keep rereading.
2. Delay or shorten rituals that feel too difficult to resist altogether.
3. Practice making decisions without complete certainty.
4. Recognize when OCD is causing avoidance. Skipping meetings, avoiding coworkers and assignments, or passing on work events because of OCD triggers can bring temporary relief. However, over time, avoidance will shrink your work life, limiting relationships and opportunities for job satisfaction and career growth. Leaning into feared work scenarios or tasks is part of OCD recovery.
5. Notice and reduce or eliminate reassurance seeking.Repeatedly asking, “Is this OK?” can bring relief, but it is only temporary, and it keeps the OCD cycle going.
Remember, progress takes practice.
With the right treatment plan, many people who have OCD can thrive in the workplace and build successful careers.
_Presented in collaboration with__Rogers Behavioral Health_
Matthew (Matt) Boyer, MD, FASAM
Matthew (Matt) Boyer, MD, FASAM
Matthew (Matt) Boyer, MD, is a dually board-certified physician in adult psychiatry and addiction psychiatry based at Rogers Behavioral Health in Philadelphia. He received his medical degree from Marshall University School of Medicine and currently specializes in treating anxiety, bipolar …
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