What are reasonable adjustments?

You can ask your employer for reasonable adjustments when any aspect of your working arrangements, including the building or place of work or your working hours, puts you at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person doing your job.

However, there is no exact definition about what is or is not ‘reasonable,’ and factors such as the cost and difficulty in making the adjustment and the size of the employer will be taken into account. Generally, an adjustment is likely to be considered reasonable if it is not too expensive considering the resources of the employer and the type of business.

Helpful adjustments that would not generally be too expensive could include:

• allowing time for medical appointments or treatment
• flexible working arrangements, such as shorter or different hours
• unlimited toilet breaks
• moving your work station close to a toilet
• providing a car parking space close to the entrance into work
• allocating some of your duties to someone else
• offering another place of work
• providing you with relevant training, for example if some of your duties have been reallocated and you take on new tasks that are more suitable to your needs

In talking to your employer, it may be useful to have some suggestions ready of changes that would help you.

References