When Must Employers Provide Reasonable Adjustments?
This question usually comes up when something has already gone wrong. Someone is struggling, an issue has been raised, or a request has landed on a manager’s desk. At that point, the key issue is whether the employer has a duty to act.
The simplest way to think about it is this: employers must provide reasonable adjustments when a disabled person is put at a substantial disadvantage at work and the employer knows (or should reasonably know) disability is involved.
That can happen at recruitment. It can happen after disclosure. It can also happen later, when problems show up and it becomes obvious that barriers at work are part of the story.
The main triggers for providing reasonable adjustments
Employers should consider reasonable adjustments when any of the following are true:
1) During recruitment and interviews
Adjustments are not just for people who already work for you. They can apply at any stage of hiring, including:
application forms and online portals
interview format and location
assessments, tests, and tasks
communication support needs
If a candidate needs a change to take part fairly, that is a reasonable adjustments moment.
2) When someone discloses a disability or health condition
If an employee tells you they are disabled, or shares a long-term condition that affects their work, that is a clear trigger to discuss barriers and possible adjustments.
A key detail: the conversation should focus on what gets in the way at work and what would reduce that disadvantage. It does not need to become a medical interrogation.
3) When an employee is struggling, even if they do not use the words “reasonable adjustments”
People rarely speak in legal language. They say things like:
“I’m finding the open plan really hard”
“I’m exhausted by the end of the day”
“I can’t concentrate when instructions change constantly”
“I’m fine at the work, but I’m falling behind on the admin”
If a manager can reasonably connect the dots between difficulty at work and a disability-related barrier, that should trigger a supportive adjustments discussion.
4) When sickness absence or return-to-work issues appear disability-related
Absence patterns can be a warning light. If someone’s absence, phased return, or delayed recovery relates to disability, employers may need to adjust:
attendance triggers
performance expectations during recovery
hours, duties, or location temporarily or permanently
This is a common place where organisations drift into risk, because they treat disability-related absence as “just sickness” and follow the usual process without pausing to consider adjustments.
5) When a change at work creates new barriers
Even if adjustments were agreed in the past, the duty can reappear when something changes, such as:
a new manager
a new role or responsibilities
a new office setup
a new tool or system
a shift to more in-person days
a restructure or team move
Adjustments are not a one-off event. They need review because work changes.
What counts as a “reasonable” adjustment?
Reasonable does not mean “whatever is easiest for the employer”. It is a judgement based on what would reduce the disadvantage and whether it is practical in context.
Employers usually need to consider:
whether the change would actually help
how practical it is to implement
cost and resources (including the size of the organisation)
any genuine health and safety issues
If one specific request is not workable, the employer should still look for alternatives. A flat “no” with no options is where things go wrong.
Timing matters: delays can become the problem
One of the biggest practical failures is not outright refusal. It’s slow action.
If an adjustment is agreed but not implemented, the disadvantage continues. That can quickly become the real issue, especially when the change is simple and clearly helpful.
A sensible approach is to agree:
what will be done
who will do it
by when
how you will check whether it worked
A simple checklist for employers
Employers should ask:
Do we have reason to believe disability may be involved?
Is this person disadvantaged by how work is done, the workspace, or missing support?
Have we responded promptly and clearly?
Have we agreed actions with owners and dates?
Have we written it down and set a review point?
If you can answer “yes” to the process questions, you are already ahead of most workplaces.
Making this work in practice
Good intentions do not implement adjustments. Systems do.
A solid process usually includes:
a clear route for requesting adjustments
a prompt response timeframe
a short discussion focused on barriers and solutions
agreed actions with an owner and a date
a written record
a review point (because needs and roles change)
Most organisations fall down in one predictable place: the record. Decisions end up spread across emails, chats, documents, and memory. Then someone changes manager or role, and the whole thing resets.
That is exactly the problem Workplace Passports and a proper adjustments workflow are meant to solve.
Next steps
