Can an Employer Refuse a Requested Adjustment? (Understanding the Limits)
Yes. An employer can refuse a requested adjustment.
But the limits are tight, and the bar is higher than many organisations realise.
In UK law, the question is never simply “Can we say no?”
The question is whether refusing that adjustment is reasonable, evidenced, and still aimed at removing the disadvantage.
Many employers get this wrong, not because they intend to discriminate, but because refusals are often based on instinct, convenience, or team pressure rather than a defensible process.
The legal starting point
Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to avoid disabled people being placed at a substantial disadvantage at work. A failure to make reasonable adjustments is a form of disability discrimination in its own right.
You can read the statutory duty here:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/20
That means refusal is the exception, not the default.
What refusal is actually about
Refusing an adjustment is not about rejecting support altogether. It is about deciding that a specific request is not reasonable in that form, in that context.
Crucially:
Employers do not have to agree to the exact adjustment requested.
Employers do have to engage, consider, and aim to remove the disadvantage in another way.
A refusal that leaves the disadvantage untouched is where legal risk appears.
When can an employer lawfully refuse an adjustment?
There are only a small number of defensible reasons for refusal. Each must be backed by evidence, not preference.
1) The adjustment does not reduce the disadvantage
If the requested adjustment does not address the actual barrier at work, an employer can refuse it and propose a more effective alternative.
This is a correction, not a denial of support.
2) The adjustment creates a genuine safety risk
Health and safety can justify refusal, but only where:
the risk is specific and real, and
it cannot be reduced through another adjustment.
Vague concerns or general discomfort do not meet this threshold.
3) The adjustment removes an essential part of the job
Employers are expected to adapt roles, but not to remove their core purpose.
If an adjustment would eliminate an essential requirement of the role altogether, refusal may be lawful. The key is whether the task is genuinely fundamental, not just historically assumed.
ACAS makes this distinction clear in its guidance on reasonable adjustments:
https://www.acas.org.uk/reasonable-adjustments
4) The cost is genuinely disproportionate
Cost can be relevant, but it is rarely decisive on its own.
Employers must consider:
cost relative to organisational resources
whether cheaper alternatives exist
whether changes could be phased or trialled
whether external funding could help
One option frequently overlooked is Access to Work, which can fund equipment, software, or support:
https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work
Refusing without exploring these options is risky.
5) The request conflicts with legal or regulatory obligations
This is uncommon, but relevant in regulated environments where certain activities are legally restricted.
6) An equally effective alternative exists
An employer can lawfully refuse one request if they offer another adjustment that removes the disadvantage just as effectively.
In practice, this is often the strongest and safest outcome.
Reasons that are not lawful grounds for refusal
Some reasons sound reasonable in everyday management conversations, but they do not stand up legally.
Not lawful on their own:
“Others will want the same”
“We’ve never done this before”
“It wouldn’t be fair on the team”
“The manager doesn’t like it”
“This is a performance issue”
“I don’t think they really need it”
ACAS explicitly warns against decisions based on assumptions, feelings, or cultural discomfort rather than evidence:
https://www.acas.org.uk/supporting-disabled-people/workplace-conversations-about-disability
What makes a refusal defensible?
A defensible refusal shows that the employer:
identified the real disadvantage
genuinely considered the request
relied on evidence, not instinct
explored alternatives
aimed to reduce the disadvantage
documented the reasoning
A refusal without documentation is weak by default.
The real risk: inconsistency and silence
Most employers do not get into trouble because they refuse one adjustment. They get into trouble because:
similar requests are handled differently
decisions are made verbally and forgotten
delays drag on without explanation
alternatives are never clearly offered
From the outside, this looks arbitrary. Arbitrary decisions are hard to defend.
Why this is exactly where TryMosaic helps
This is where TryMosaic earns its keep.
TryMosaic helps employers handle refusals properly, not just avoid them.
It provides:
structured prompts to identify the real barrier
a clear record of what was requested
space to document why a request was refused
support for proposing and tracking alternatives
consistency across managers and teams
an auditable trail that shows the decision was reasonable
Mosaic doesn’t force employers to say yes. It ensures that when an employer says no, they can show why.
That distinction matters.
A practical check against ACAS expectations
One of the hardest parts of refusing an adjustment is knowing whether your reasoning would stand up against ACAS guidance, not just internal opinion.
That’s why Mosaic includes an ACAS alignment checker. It allows managers and HR teams to sense-check proposed decisions against recognised ACAS principles before a refusal is confirmed. It doesn’t replace judgement, and it doesn’t give legal advice. What it does is flag where a decision may be relying on assumption, missing evidence, or skipping exploration of alternatives.
For employers, that means fewer “gut feel” refusals and fewer surprises later.
For employees, it means greater confidence that decisions are being made against a consistent external standard, not personal preference.
In practice, this is often the difference between a refusal that escalates and one that is understood, documented, and defensible.
Next steps
Read more here
FAQs: can an employer refuse reasonable adjustments?
Can an employer ever refuse reasonable adjustments?
An employer can refuse a specific adjustment if it is not reasonable, but they should still aim to remove the disadvantage in another way.
Does cost automatically justify refusal?
No. Cost must be genuinely disproportionate and considered alongside alternatives and funding options.
Is refusing an adjustment discrimination?
Refusal can be lawful if properly justified. But failing to make reasonable adjustments when required is a form of disability discrimination.
Do refusals need to be written down?
There is no formal requirement to document refusals, but undocumented decisions are very difficult to defend.
