- Explain who the duty to make reasonable adjustments applies to
- Judge what makes an adjustment reasonable
- Agree and record an adjustment so it survives a change of manager
The duty, briefly
Under the Equality Act 2010, employers and service providers must make reasonable adjustments where a disabled person would otherwise be at a substantial disadvantage.
Three things surprise people:
- The duty is anticipatory for service providers. You should not wait to be asked.
- The cost of an adjustment cannot be passed to the person.
- "Disabled" is broader than most assume. A physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term effect on day-to-day activities, which covers many long-term conditions, mental health conditions and neurodivergence.
What makes it reasonable
There is no fixed list. Factors include how effective the adjustment would be, how practical it is, the cost, and the size and resources of the organisation.
In practice most adjustments are small: changed hours, a quieter space, extra time, a different format, a phased return, a piece of equipment, a change in how someone is supervised.
What is not reasonable: removing a core requirement of the role, or lowering the standard someone is assessed against.
A team member with a fluctuating condition asks for flexible start times. Their role includes a fixed 9am handover. What is the best approach?
Record it so it survives
Write a short adjustment record covering: what the barrier is, what has been agreed, when it starts, and when it will be reviewed. Keep it with the person's consent and share it with whoever needs to act on it.
The purpose is simple. When the line manager, timetable or room changes, the adjustment should not have to be argued for again from scratch.
4 questions. Pick an answer to see whether it is right and why.
1.The cost of a reasonable adjustment:
2.For service providers the duty is anticipatory, which means:
3.Which would NOT normally be a reasonable adjustment?
4.The best way to stop an adjustment being lost is to:
Is there an adjustment in your team that only works because one person remembers it?
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