Reasonable Adjustments at Work: What Can You Ask For?

If a disability or health condition makes parts of your job difficult, you can ask your employer for reasonable adjustments at work. These are changes intended to remove or reduce disadvantages connected with a disability. They might involve your working hours, equipment, workplace, duties, absence arrangements or the way your employer communicates with you.

What are reasonable adjustments at work?

Reasonable adjustments are changes made to reduce or remove a disadvantage experienced by a disabled person. The duty under the Equality Act 2010 can apply where a workplace rule or practice, a physical feature, or the absence of an auxiliary aid puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared with people who are not disabled.

An adjustment is intended to make work more accessible or workable. It does not necessarily mean removing all difficulties, changing every part of a job or giving someone an unfair advantage. It means considering what practical steps could address the disadvantage connected with the person’s disability.

For example, a standard start time may cause serious difficulty for an employee whose disability affects their ability to travel during busy periods. A later start could be one possible adjustment. Another employee may need specialist software, written instructions, additional breaks or a phased return after sickness absence.

The appropriate adjustment depends on the individual, the role and the workplace. Two people with the same diagnosis may need different support.

Who has the right to ask for reasonable adjustments?

You can ask your employer to consider adjustments if a disability is affecting you at work. The Equality Act 2010 protects disabled people in employment, and the reasonable-adjustment duty can also apply to job applicants and other categories of worker covered by the legislation.

For the Equality Act, disability generally means a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. “Substantial” means more than minor or trivial, and “long-term” usually means the effect has lasted, or is likely to last, at least 12 months. There are specific rules and exceptions, so the definition should be assessed against the actual circumstances.

A disability does not have to be visible. Conditions affecting mobility, hearing, sight, energy, concentration, memory, communication or mental health may be relevant, depending on their effects and the legal definition.

You do not always need a particular diagnosis or a formal medical report before raising a request. Your employer may need further information to understand the disadvantage and assess possible adjustments, but it should not dismiss your concerns simply because the condition is not obvious.

Official guidance is available from GOV.UK’s guidance on disability rights at work and Acas guidance on reasonable adjustments.

What reasonable adjustments can you ask for?

There is no single list that covers every situation. The following are examples of adjustments that may be suitable, depending on the disadvantage involved and whether the proposed step is reasonable.

1. Changes to working hours and patterns

• Starting or finishing work at a different time.
• Changing shift patterns or allowing more predictable shifts.
• Taking breaks at different times or more frequent short breaks.
• Working from home or using a hybrid arrangement where the role allows it.
• Adjusting working hours temporarily during treatment or recovery.

For example, an employee whose medication causes fatigue in the early morning may ask for a later start. The employer should consider the impact of the condition, the role’s requirements and whether a different schedule could reduce the disadvantage.

2. Equipment and workplace changes

• An ergonomic chair, adapted desk or suitable keyboard.
• Screen-reading, speech-to-text or other assistive software.
• Changes to lighting, noise levels or the workstation layout.
• Accessible parking or a more accessible work area, where appropriate.
• Documents in an accessible format or equipment suited to a particular impairment.

An employee with a condition that affects reading may benefit from text-to-speech software. Someone with a mobility impairment may need a different workstation location or a suitable way to access the building.

3. Changes to duties, communication or performance arrangements

• Providing instructions in writing as well as verbally.
• Breaking complex tasks into clearer stages or agreeing regular check-ins.
• Allowing additional time for certain tasks or assessments where appropriate.
• Adjusting the way training, meetings or feedback are delivered.
• Redistributing some duties or considering alternative suitable work.

For example, an employee with a condition affecting memory may find written follow-up notes and a structured task list helpful. An employee who finds open-plan noise difficult to manage may benefit from a quieter workspace or agreed periods away from interruptions.

An employer does not have to remove the essential nature of a job or accept an adjustment that is not reasonable. However, it should consider whether duties can be reorganised, support provided or another practical option used to address the disadvantage.

4. Adjustments for sickness absence, treatment and returning to work

• Allowing time off for disability-related medical appointments or treatment where reasonable.
• Planning a phased return after a period of sickness absence.
• Temporarily reducing or changing duties during recovery.
• Reviewing absence procedures where disability-related absence creates a disadvantage.
• Agreeing a return-to-work plan with clear responsibilities and review dates.

These options are not automatic entitlements in every case. Their suitability depends on the employee’s circumstances, the effect on the work and what is reasonable for the employer to do.

How do you request reasonable adjustments?

You can normally raise a request in writing, in a meeting or through your employer’s established process. A written request is often helpful because it creates a record of what you asked for and why.

Step 1: Explain how work is affecting you

Describe the practical difficulty rather than assuming your employer understands the impact of your condition. For example, explain that a fixed shift pattern aggravates your symptoms, that a particular workspace makes concentration difficult or that you need an accessible format to process written information.

You do not necessarily have to disclose every detail of your medical history. Focus on the information needed to understand the disadvantage and consider possible adjustments.

Step 2: Identify the adjustment you want to try

Be as specific as you reasonably can. If you need a later start, say what start time you propose and why it would help. If you need specialist software, explain the task it would assist with. If you are unsure what would work, ask to explore options together.

Step 3: Explain how it could work in practice

Where helpful, suggest how work would be covered, how urgent tasks would be handled or how the adjustment could be reviewed. You are not required to solve every operational issue yourself, but practical suggestions can help move the discussion forward.

Step 4: Ask for a meeting and a written outcome

Ask your manager or HR to discuss your request. Your employer may need to seek further information or occupational health advice. If you agree an adjustment, ask for the details to be confirmed in writing, including when it will start and when it will be reviewed.

Acas provides a free reasonable adjustment request template that you can adapt to your situation.

Example wording for a reasonable-adjustment request

You can adapt the following wording for an email to your manager or HR department.

This is a starting point, not a mandatory legal form. You can adapt it to your circumstances and your employer’s process.

What must your employer consider?

Your employer should consider the particular disadvantage you experience and whether a reasonable step could remove or reduce it. The Equality Act does not require every requested adjustment to be accepted, but a request should be assessed properly rather than rejected automatically.

Relevant considerations may include:

• Effectiveness: Would the adjustment remove or reduce the disadvantage?
• Practicality: Can it be implemented in the actual workplace and role?
• Cost and resources: What would it cost, and what resources does the employer have?
• Impact on work and others: Are there genuine operational or health and safety concerns, and could they be managed another way?
• Alternatives: If the proposed adjustment is not suitable, is there another reasonable step that could help?

Your employer may seek occupational health advice or ask for relevant medical information, where appropriate. Occupational health can help explain the effect of a condition and possible workplace support, but its recommendations do not automatically determine the legal answer. The employer must still consider its own obligations and the individual circumstances.

Where an adjustment is agreed, it is good practice to record what will happen, who is responsible, when it will start and when it will be reviewed. Adjustments may need to change if your condition, duties or working arrangements change.

Does your employer have to pay for reasonable adjustments?

Under the Equality Act’s reasonable-adjustment framework, an employer generally cannot require the disabled person to pay the employer’s costs of complying with the duty. The employer should consider the cost and practicality of a proposed adjustment when deciding what is reasonable, but it should not simply pass the cost of an adjustment it is legally required to make to the employee.

Some workplace support may also be available through the government’s Access to Work scheme. Depending on eligibility and the circumstances, the scheme can help with practical support connected with a person’s disability at work.

Access to Work is not a substitute for an employer’s own legal duty. An employer should not assume that it has no responsibility to consider an adjustment merely because a grant might be available.

What if your employer refuses your request?

If your employer refuses a reasonable-adjustment request, ask for the reasons in writing. Try to understand whether the employer believes the proposed adjustment would not address the disadvantage, is not practical, or would be unreasonable in the circumstances.

You can then ask whether another adjustment could help. For example, if permanent homeworking is not workable for a particular role, a different start time, a quieter work area or a trial of hybrid working might still reduce the disadvantage.

If the response does not address your concerns, consider the following steps:

1. Keep a record. Save your request, the employer’s response and notes of relevant discussions.
2. Ask for a review. Explain why you believe the proposed adjustment would help and invite the employer to reconsider alternatives.
3. Use the grievance procedure if needed. Set out what you requested, how the decision affects you and what outcome you are seeking.
4. Seek advice promptly. If you believe the refusal may amount to disability discrimination, obtain advice about the evidence, options and deadlines.

Failure to comply with the reasonable-adjustment duty can amount to disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. However, whether the duty applied, what adjustment was reasonable and whether there has been a breach depend on the facts.

You can read Acas guidance on what to do if an employer does not make reasonable adjustments.

What evidence should you keep?

Good records can help you and your employer understand what was requested, how the condition affects work and whether an adjustment has been considered or tested.

• Your written request and any follow-up messages.
• The employer’s response and stated reasons for any refusal.
• Relevant contract terms, workplace policies or absence procedures.
• Notes from meetings with your manager, HR or occupational health.
• Relevant medical or occupational health information that you are comfortable and entitled to share.
• Examples of the workplace difficulty and how it affects your work.
• Records of agreed adjustments, trial periods and review meetings.

Keep personal medical information secure and share only what is reasonably relevant. You can ask how the employer will store and use any health information it receives.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming you must use a special form. Follow your employer’s process if one exists, but do not assume there is a single universal legal form for every request.
• Making the request too vague. Explain the work-related disadvantage and, if possible, the change that could help.
• Assuming your employer must accept your first suggestion. The duty concerns reasonable steps, so consider alternatives that address the same disadvantage.
• Relying only on verbal conversations. A follow-up email helps establish what was discussed and agreed.
• Assuming a grievance stops legal deadlines. Internal procedures do not automatically pause tribunal time limits.
• Giving up after one refusal. Ask for the reasons and whether a different reasonable adjustment could work.

How long do you have to bring a claim?

If you believe your employer has failed to make reasonable adjustments and the problem cannot be resolved, an employment tribunal claim may be an option. Time limits can be short. Many employment tribunal discrimination claims generally have a deadline of three months less one day from the relevant act, but the correct calculation depends on the circumstances, including whether the issue is treated as an ongoing act or a separate decision.

Acas Early Conciliation is normally relevant before an employment tribunal claim is submitted and can affect how the deadline is calculated. Do not assume that asking for adjustments, appealing a refusal or raising a grievance stops the clock.

If your employer has refused a request, is treating you unfavourably, or has started disciplinary action connected with disability-related difficulties, seek advice promptly. The right route depends on the events, the dates and the evidence.

Real-world examples: what might be reasonable?

Example 1: A later start time

An employee’s disability makes travel during rush hour particularly difficult. They ask to start an hour later and finish later. If the role can accommodate the change without disproportionate difficulty, a revised schedule may be a practical adjustment to consider.

Example 2: Support with written information

An employee with a condition affecting reading speed struggles with lengthy documents. They ask for accessible digital documents and text-to-speech software. The employer should consider whether these measures would reduce the disadvantage and whether they are reasonable in the circumstances.

Example 3: A phased return

An employee is returning after a prolonged period of disability-related sickness absence. A temporary reduction in hours or duties may help them return to work. The employer and employee can discuss a plan, agree review dates and adjust the arrangements as appropriate.

Example 4: The requested adjustment is not workable

An employee requests that a core duty be removed permanently. The employer believes that duty is essential to the role. It should consider the actual job requirements and whether duties can be reorganised or another reasonable adjustment offered. The request does not automatically have to be accepted, but the employer should not stop considering options merely because the first suggestion is unsuitable.

Get help with a reasonable-adjustment request

General guidance can help you understand the process, but a difficult case may turn on the exact adjustment requested, the way your condition affects your work, the employer’s reasons and the documents recording what happened.

A focused review of your situation can help you identify the relevant issues, organise the evidence and consider practical next steps. This may be particularly useful if your employer has refused an adjustment, is asking for more medical information, or is linking disability-related difficulties to absence or performance concerns.

Frequently asked questions

Important information: This article provides general information about employment law in Great Britain and is not personalised legal advice. Reading it does not create a solicitor-client relationship. The Equality Act and related employment rules can apply differently depending on the facts and jurisdiction. Northern Ireland has a separate legal framework. Seek advice promptly if a dispute or potential tribunal deadline is involved.