Self-Reported Dyslexia Traits as Positive Predictors of Self-Reported Cognitive Failures in the Workplace.

There is little direct empirical evidence indicating how dyslexia-related cognitive difficulties express themselves in employment settings, although employers may be legally required to support neurodivergent workers through targeted accommodations. The current pre-registered online survey investigated the relationship between dyslexia traits and the self-reported frequency of workplace cognitive failures. Four hundred native English speakers were recruited via Prolific. All respondents identified as being full- or part-time UK employees in a central place of work. The respondents completed a series of published self-report questionnaires on neurodivergent symptomatology, mental wellbeing, personality characteristics, and busyness and routine at work. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to determine whether dyslexia traits were predictive of workplace cognitive failures. After controlling for age, busyness and routine, Big Five personality traits, mental wellbeing, and self-reported ADHD symptoms, dyslexia traits were a significant positive predictor of the overall frequency of workplace cognitive failures. Self-reported dyslexia traits were also significant positive but weak predictors of the individual memory, attention, and action factors. The predictive relationships found between self-reported dyslexia traits and workplace cognitive failures suggest that a similar approach with officially diagnosed individuals would prove fruitful in understanding how dyslexia affects work performance and improve targeted support for dyslexic employees.