Workplace adjustments FAQs

Reach out to your staff member and offer your support. Listen to how their disability affects them at work, be empathetic and discuss any additional support or workplace adjustments they need. Access our guidance on making workplace adjustments for more detailed support.

Check if the member of staff has a health passport. Encouraging staff to create their own health passports means you can access information about their needs and adjustments. This removes the responsibility for the member of staff to initiate these discussions, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where their needs are pre-acknowledged and seamlessly integrated.

Having a policy in place will ensure consistency in how adjustments are made across the organisation. Check if your organisation has a policy for workplace adjustments and if it does, follow it. If not, consider whether any of these examples of workplace adjustments  fit your organisation’s needs.

Adjustments include flexible working hours, assistive technology and alternative communication methods. They do not necessarily cost a lot, some are free. For more examples of adjustments see our understanding workplace adjustments infographic.

A centralised budget for adjustments can mean a more streamlined and equitable approach. Check if your organisation has a centralised budget and if it does, record the adjustments needed and refer the request to the central team. If not, consider what adjustments can be provided locally. Whether or not there is a centralised budget, the involvement of occupational health and EDI specialists will provide expert advice.  You can also access our guidance on managing a centralised workplace adjustments budget.

Access to Work can help pay for adjustments. Encourage and support your staff to apply for adjustments through Access to Work. If a new member of staff makes an Access to Work application within six weeks of starting, Access to Work pays 100 per cent of the cost.

Provide your staff with an expected timeframe and communicate clearly the next steps, for example:

• Referral will be made
• Application approved
• Workplace needs assessment completed
• Adjustments implemented

If after review, the staff member doesn’t currently need a workplace adjustment, schedule annual check-ins and signpost the support available. Disability can impact an individual at any point in their career, it’s therefore important to continue checking in regularly with your staff member. 

If you have a disability, your organisation has a legal obligation to support you and provide workplace adjustments that are reasonable, to enable you to achieve your very best and feel supported. 

Yes. However, the definition of ‘disability’ under the Equality Act 2010 is very broad and if you have a long-term condition which has more than a minor impact on your ability to work, you will likely be classified as disabled. 

If you are experiencing any barrier at work that is preventing you from doing your best, then you might need a workplace adjustment. If so, talk to your line manager to discuss any specific adjustments you would like to be made. Identify and communicate the barriers you may be encountering in the workplace. You can also apply for an adjustment yourself through Access to Work, or your manager may refer you. 

Continue to use your pre-existing adjustment. However, if you begin to experience a new barrier that is impacting on your work, talk to your line manager about whether you need an additional adjustment.

Your manager will make a record of your request, provide you with a timeline and implement the support you need via an adjustments process and / or health passport, if there is one. Regular check-ins will be scheduled between you and your line manager to ensure you have everything you need. 

Access to Work is a publicly funded employment support programme that aims to help more disabled people start or stay in work. As an employee, you are the one who needs to make an application to Access to Work, rather than your employer. You should tell your employer you are applying, as you need to include a work contact as part of the process. Once you have applied, Access to Work will organise a needs assessment and will work with you to find the solutions to enable you to thrive. They will send a report to your line manager. Speak to your manager if this process is taking too long, as your employer may be able to provide the adjustment.