What is an Adjustment?

A workplace adjustment is a change or adjustment exclusive to an individual’s needs that will enable them to do their job more easily.
If a person has been diagnosed as having a disability, then they are eligible for reasonable adjustments. If the person has not been diagnosed as disabled, then adjustments are voluntary but it’s still recommended that you accommodate them as best as you can.
A ‘reasonable’ adjustment means that the change is dependent on how effective, practical, affordable and disruptive making the change would be for the employer. If the adjustment is deemed ‘reasonable’ with the resources the employer has available, then they must be applied.
However, some adjustments are not ‘reasonable’ because making the changes would cause too much disruption. For example, it would not be reasonable for a person in a call centre to stop using the phone.

Example of Adjustments
A few examples of adjustments you could make include:
• Allowing flexible working hours or working from home.
• Changing the timing or frequency of breaks.
• Making changes to the layout of the workplace.
• Introducing quiet work areas.
• Agreeing leave at short notice for appointments.
• Being more flexible about absence from work.
• Reallocating job tasks.
• Providing more feedback on work.
• Increasing the support from/availability of managers.
• Providing extra training for staff.
• Encouraging a healthy lifestyle.