Everything You Need to Know about Reasonable Adjustments

Reasonable adjustments are a critical area of knowledge for each and every disabled job seeker and employer in the U.K. Getting the right reasonable adjustments at work is a hugely important aspect of getting the right overall support for working with a disability. 

As the range of disabilities is so vast and diverse, the variety of reasonable adjustments is similarly so. There isn’t one specific set of reasonable adjustments that can be made for disabled people, so, this can make the topic a little bit more complex and even confusing for some. 

On top of this, some disabled people do not feel comfortable or confident in asking for reasonable adjustments at work. This might come from a general lack of knowledge of the topic, fear of stigma around the topic of disability, or lack of trust in their specific employer. Whatever the reason, failing to ask for reasonable adjustments in the workplace puts you at a disadvantage and can negatively impact your career in many ways.

As the lack of these adjustments can have such significantly negative impacts on disabled employees, we thought it was a good idea to write this blog to talk more about reasonable adjustments at work. We want to tell you everything you need to know about them to be safe and supported in your job as a disabled person. 

We will start by talking about the law behind this and where the term comes from. 

The Equality Act of 2010

The Equality Act of 2010 is a piece of U.K. legislation that outlines how people must be protected and supported at work in an equal way. It outlines how people must be protected from different types of discrimination and how they must be given extra support when needed, based on particular protected characteristics. The protected characteristic we are discussing for the purpose of this blog is, of course, disability. 

As part of the support outlined for disabled employees, the Equality Act requires employers to make reasonable adjustments. This is noted as an employer’s “duty” and is legally enforceable. 

Under the Equality Act Section 20, reasonable adjustments must meet the following requirements in order to be deemed both necessary and reasonable:

• “(3) The first requirement is a requirement, where a provision, criterion or practice of A’s puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter in comparison with persons who are not disabled, to take such steps as it is reasonable to have to take to avoid the disadvantage.

• (4) The second requirement is a requirement, where a physical feature puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter in comparison with persons who are not disabled, to take such steps as it is reasonable to have to take to avoid the disadvantage.

• (5) The third requirement is a requirement, where a disabled person would, but for the provision of an auxiliary aid, be put at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter in comparison with persons who are not disabled, to take such steps as it is reasonable to have to take to provide the auxiliary aid.”

In other words, reasonable adjustments serve the purpose of “levelling the playing field”, as it were, for disabled people. They are intended to stop unnecessary disadvantages for disabled people in the workplace and, instead, provide the support that allows disabled employees to work at the same level as their non-disabled counterparts. 

The Equality Act goes on to note that a request for such adjustments that meet the aforementioned criteria not being met constitutes illegal discrimination on the part of the employer. Employers must make the reasonable adjustments that employees need when it is physically possible to do so. 

Examples of Reasonable Adjustments 

The Equality Act does not provide a list of reasonable adjustments that are legally permissible, instead, it provides the previous criteria we have seen in the last section. There cannot easily be a list of examples of reasonable adjustments due to the fact that disabilities are so varied and diverse and peoples’ experiences with them are the same. It would be impossible to give a one-fits-all definition of what is a good reasonable adjustment. 

The best reasonable adjustments are those that match the needs of the disabled person in question. Judgements made surrounding them should always be on an individual basis, rather than any kind of assumptions or generalisations on what a person with a certain disability should want or need. 

Some examples of reasonable adjustments that we typically see include: 

Physical Adjustments

• Providing assistive technology, such as screen readers, larger monitors, or specialised desks and chairs
• Changing the layout of a working area for accessibility
• Adding accessible amenities to a workplace such as disability parking spaces, lifts, walking aids, and accessible bathrooms
• Changing lighting around an area
• Allowing an employee to work in a separate room or area

Working Pattern Adjustments 

• Provision of flexible, hybrid and working-from-home options
• Offering phased returns to work after an absence
• Changes to break times and frequencies
• Allowing time off for appointments and not disciplining Disability-Related Leave 

Workload Adjustments 

• Changes in the distribution of workloads
• Altering workloads in specifically symptomatic periods
• Changing deadlines 
• Sharing work between employees
• Changing the overall way in which workload and responsibilities are handled in an accessible way 

How to Ask for Reasonable Adjustments at Work 

Some disabled employees may struggle with the aspect of asking for the reasonable adjustments that they need at work. However, when you do ask, you open yourself up to the vast range of support that is available to you and can help you at work.

The only times in which a reasonable adjustment request may be rejected is if:

• It won’t make any difference or remove the disadvantage 
• It is too costly (see more info below)
• It is potentially harmful to other staff
• It is not practical or feasible to make

If this is the case, there are alternatives that may need to be considered instead of your initial request. Or, your employer may need you to work with the Access to Work Scheme to gain the financial ability to make the reasonable adjustment. There are always options to consider even if your initial request is denied, so don’t worry about asking for what you need. If your request is unreasonably denied then, as we mentioned before, this may be discrimination and requires further investigation. 

The easiest way to ask for reasonable adjustments is when you are disclosing your disability to an employer even during recruitment or in the earliest stage of your career with them. You can check out our advice for disclosing your disability to find out more details on the best way to handle this conversation. 

Find an Accessible Employer at Careers with Disabilities 

To sum up, reasonable adjustments are essential for disabled members of staff. They are also legally required. This means that all disabled employees should be asking for the support they need to ensure the best possible working environment for themselves. 

If you are a disabled job seeker looking for an accessible employer to make the adjustments you need at work, we can help you right here at Careers with Disabilities. 

You can check out both our directory of accessible company profiles and our live disability-friendly job board to find accessible opportunities near you. 

Get out there and get the support you deserve at work.