The Workplace Adjustment Passport: A Guide for Employees with Disabilities

A recent study by Scope found that 48% of disabled people worry about simply talking to their employer about their disability. It’s clear that disabled employees face challenges that non-disabled people don’t. This is where the Workplace Adjustment Passport can make a real difference.

Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the passport’s existence and the huge benefits it has for employers and employees with disabilities.

Therefore, today’s blog aims to shine a light on the Workplace Adjustment Passport. We’ll cover everything you need to know, including what it is and its main functions. We’ll also share a workplace adjustment passport example so you can clearly understand how to fill it out.

So, don’t worry. In approximately five and a half minutes, you’ll know exactly how the Workplace Adjustment Passport works and how you can use it to your advantage.

What Is a Workplace Adjustment Passport?

Did you know that only 49% of disabled employees are aware of their rights in the workplace? As part of your rights, you are entitled to reasonable adjustments. These are changes an employer makes to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to someone’s disability. 

A Workplace Adjustment Passport is a document used to record reasonable adjustments made for employees with disabilities, health conditions, or those going through gender reassignment. 

It helps employees discuss their needs with managers, keeps a record of agreed adjustments, and eases transitions between managers by providing a history of support.

What Are the Functions of a Workplace Adjustment Passport?

Workplace Adjustment Passports help both employers and employees in five key ways.

1. Starting conversations

They act as a prompt for employees to discuss disabilities, health conditions, or gender reassignment with their manager.

2. Documenting agreements

They record the conversation and any workplace adjustments decided upon by the employee and manager.

3. Tracking support

They serve as a history of the individual’s support measures.

4. Smoother transitions

When an employee changes managers, the passport informs the new manager about past adjustments, avoiding the need to restart the process.

5. Addressing invisible conditions

They can help initiate discussions about less apparent issues like mental health challenges.

Workplace Adjustment Passport: Example

Your Workplace Adjustment Passport will contain a series of questions with spaces to fill in your answer. Provide as much information as you are comfortable with. This will ensure you get the reasonable adjustments you need to do your job properly.

Here is an example workplace adjustment passport filled out by someone with chronic pain.

Name: Michael Kingsley

Line Manager: Marina Close

Department: Finance

Details of your disability, condition, or barriers that you currently experience:

Please provide a description of your disability or any workplace barriers that you currently experience that may impact your wellbeing or work. Please do not provide any information that you do not feel comfortable discussing with your line manager.

“I suffer from chronic pain caused by arthritis and experience continuous joint pain and frequent swelling in my wrists.

This pain affects my ability to work, especially if I sit in the same position for extended periods. A standard office chair seems to worsen my symptoms and the mouse and mousepad I use don’t support my wrist, increasing the pain.”

The following questions relate to your workspace, working hours, communication, equipment and technology that may be impacted by your disability, health condition or circumstances. 

You only need to fill in the sections that apply to your disability. As you’ll see, we’ve filled out “working hours”, “equipment and technology” and “additional information”.

Workspace:

Do you require any adjustments to your workspace to support you?

YES ロ NO X

Working Hours:

Do you require any adjustments to your working hours to support you?

YES X NO ロ

“It would help to alleviate the pain if I could take breaks away from my desk to do light stretches and relieve any stiffness in my wrists.”

Communication:

Do you have a preferred method of communication that may support you/any methods of communication that you may find challenging?

YES ロ NO X

Equipment and Technology:

Do you require any equipment or technology to be provided to support you in your role?

YES X NO ロ

“Using an ergonomic office chair would help to maintain correct posture throughout the day. Also, an ergonomic mouse and a mousepad with cushion support would help to relieve any pain in my wrists.”

Additional Information:

Please provide any additional information that may not have been discussed in the sections above:

“In my last job, I was provided with an ergonomic chair, mouse and cushion mousepad which really helped my symptoms. Unfortunately, I was unable to bring them with me to this new position but you’ll see them recorded in my Workplace Adjustment Passport. I can provide an Operational Health referral if needed.”

The next section includes a summary of the agreed-upon reasonable adjustments, including the date the request was identified and the date of implementation.

This section should be filled out with your line manager present as it includes the agreed-upon changes. Do this after any changes have been made.

Summary of agreed workplace adjustments:

The final section includes a table to keep a written record of when you and your line manager review and/or amend the passport. Reviews should take place once a year.

You and your line manager must then sign and date the passport. Your line manager should make a copy and keep it on file (securely) for future reference.

Conclusion: A Disability-Friendly Future for All

To sum up, the significant challenges faced by disabled employees in the workplace are clear to see, particularly the fear of discussing their needs with employers. The Workplace Adjustment Passport is a powerful tool we can use to bridge this gap.

As such, by promoting open communication and a clear record of agreed adjustments, the passport benefits both employers and employees.

For employers, it helps create a more inclusive work environment, potentially reducing employee turnover and increasing productivity.

For employees, it empowers them to advocate for their needs and ensures continued support throughout their employment journey.

Find Disability-Friendly Employers

Are you looking for a job with an employer who’ll advocate for your needs? Well, here at Careers with Disabilities, we only work with disability-friendly employers, so you know you’ll always have the support and encouragement you need to reach your full potential.

Check out our disability-friendly jobs board for all the latest job opportunities in your area.

Our Disabled Job Seeker Support Hub is packed with advice and guidance to help you find your dream job, from grants and schemes to job application tips.

Contact our team if you have any questions.

Advertise Your Roles

Are you an employer looking to become more inclusive and disability confident? Our resource hub has all the support and guidance you need, from supporting employees to job ad inclusivity screening.

Sign up for our newsletter for the latest news and advice or get in touch to advertise on our disability-friendly job board.

Our team are awaiting your enquiry so call us at 0345 872 4501 or email info@careerswithdisabilities.com for more.