Civil Service Reasonable Adjustments at Work

Sickness and Occupational Health Reasonable Adjustments at Work
Civil Service workplace help
Turn a health-related barrier into a practical adjustment request
Reasonable adjustments are changes that remove or reduce a disability-related disadvantage at work. A useful request explains the barrier, the effect on your work and the practical change that could help.

Adjustments may relate to working arrangements, equipment, communication, the physical environment, travel, workload, attendance support or the way a task is completed. The department should consider the individual facts. A diagnosis may support the request, although the work impact and proposed solution still need to be clear.

Describe the barrier before naming the solution

Explain what part of the job, workplace or process creates the disadvantage. Describe when it happens, how it affects your ability to work and what reduces the problem. This gives the manager a practical issue to consider rather than a general statement that you need support.

A request can include more than one option. State the adjustment you believe is most effective and any workable alternative. Keep the focus on enabling effective work. Avoid promising that an adjustment will remove every symptom or guarantee a particular result.

Common adjustment areas

Working pattern
Start and finish times, breaks, phased return, home working, reduced travel or a temporary change while treatment is reviewed.
Equipment and environment
Assistive technology, workstation equipment, lighting, noise controls, seating, accessible rooms or parking.
Communication
Written instructions, advance agendas, alternative formats, captions, a clear contact route or time to process information.
Work design
Task allocation, prioritisation, deadlines, training, support, fewer rapid changes or a different method of completing a task.
Meetings and processes
Rest breaks, accessible documents, a support person where appropriate, remote attendance or adjusted meeting length.
Attendance support
Disability-related absence recording, review arrangements, return-to-work support and links with Occupational Health.

Use Occupational Health for work-focused advice

Occupational Health can describe functional impact, suggest adjustments and advise on review. The manager or department remains responsible for workplace decisions. Give Occupational Health accurate information about the role, current barriers and adjustments already tried. Ask for the report to address practical questions.

Where the request overlaps with sickness absence, performance management, probation or a grievance, state that clearly. The adjustment issue should not disappear inside the wider process.

Members can unlock the complete workplace adjustment pack below, including request wording, a barrier-to-adjustment matrix, meeting preparation, trial and review controls, and steps for responding when an adjustment is delayed, refused or ignored.

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