Reasonable adjustments at work

Hello there. I am Gemma, a legal assistant here at Lawyer Destroyer. I would be very happy to explain how reasonable adjustments work and give you some practical examples of what you can ask for.

The legal position:

Under the Equality Act 2010, your employer has a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments if you have a disability, physical health condition, or mental health condition that puts you at a substantial disadvantage at work compared to colleagues who do not share your condition. The goal is to remove workplace barriers so you can do your job comfortably and effectively.

Types of adjustments you can ask for:

You can ask for changes to your working arrangements. For example, you might ask for flexible working hours, a phased return to work after a period of sickness, permission to work from home on certain days, or extra time to take breaks or complete specific types of tasks.

You can ask for changes to your physical workspace. This could mean asking for a quiet desk away from a noisy open-plan area to help with concentration, improved lighting, an ergonomic chair, or moving your workstation to the ground floor if you have mobility issues.

You can ask for extra support or equipment. This might include specialised computer software like speech-to-text programs, an adapted keyboard, a larger monitor, or even the hiring of a support worker or British Sign Language interpreter for key meetings.

You can ask for changes to your duties. If a minor part of your job causes you significant difficulty because of your health, you could ask your employer to reallocate that specific task to a colleague, perhaps taking on a different task of theirs in return.

What makes an adjustment reasonable:

Your employer only has to make adjustments that are considered reasonable. Whether a request is reasonable depends on a few practical factors. The main things an employer will look at are how effective the change will be in genuinely helping you, how practical it is to implement, how much it will cost, and the overall size and financial resources of the business. A large national company is generally expected to do more and spend more than a tiny independent shop.

Practical next steps:

1. Think carefully about what would genuinely help you day to day. It is highly effective to write down the specific barriers you face and match them with practical solutions.

2. Ask for an informal chat with your line manager or human resources department. Approach it collaboratively and bring your suggestions. Many simple changes, like moving your desk or slightly changing your hours, can map out easily in an informal conversation.

3. Suggest an Occupational Health assessment. If your employer has access to an Occupational Health service, this is a brilliant tool. A medical professional will speak with you, assess your workplace, and write a report recommending specific adjustments. Employers usually follow these recommendations.

4. Check your eligibility for Access to Work. This is a brilliant government scheme in England and Wales. If you need expensive equipment, software, or support workers, Access to Work can provide grant money to cover or share the costs so your employer does not have to pay for it all.

5. Put your request in writing. If an informal chat does not lead to any changes, write a clear, polite email to your manager outlining your condition, the disadvantages you are facing, and the specific adjustments you are asking them to consider.

6. Consider raising a formal grievance. If your employer flatly refuses a sensible request, ignores you, or fails to act after a reasonable amount of time, the next sensible step is usually to submit a formal written grievance using the company procedure.

I hope this helps you feel confident about asking for the support you need. Please feel free to ask if you would like me to help you draft your request.