Reasonable Adjustments: A Manager’s Guide - July 2026
In this section
4. The Law
The legal definition of a disability under the Equality Act 2010 is “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”.
The Equality Act 2010 does not prevent you as a manager from asking for information about an employee’s health or impairment. However, this information must not be used to discriminate. Understanding the negative effects of an impairment may also help you to explore with the employee if adjustments need to be made and what these could be. You must ensure there is positive communication between the employee in your team and yourself, whilst being sensitive and maintaining confidentiality always.
Reasonable adjustments need to be made in the following circumstances:
Where someone has declared or told us that they have a disability, illness or injury and requested reasonable adjustments.
Where it might be reasonably expected that someone would need an adjustment.
Where is might be reasonably expected that someone is disabled.
Where making a reasonable adjustment would enable the employee to do their job more effectively, regardless of whether they are covered under the legislation.
4.1 Finding out if someone has a disability
You only have to make these changes where you know or could reasonably be expected to know that an employee has a disability and is likely to be at a substantial disadvantage as a result. This means doing everything reasonable to find out. This does not however mean asking intrusive questions or ones that violate someone’s dignity. Think about privacy and confidentiality in what you ask and how you ask.
Example
An employee’s performance has recently deteriorated, and they have started being late for work. Previously they have had a very good record of punctuality and performance. Rather than just telling them they must improve; their manager talks to them in private. This allows the manager to ask whether the change in performance could be for a disability related reason. The employee says that they are experiencing a recurrence of depression and are not sleeping well which is making them late.
Together, the manager and the employee agree to change the hours of work slightly while they are in this situation and that the employee can ask for help whenever they are finding it difficult to start or complete a task. This is a reasonable adjustment.
4.2 When should we be making reasonable adjustments?
Reasonable adjustments should be made whenever necessary. This may include:
Recruitment and selection: this may apply to the way in which the application is completed, interview or test conducted, or any other criteria applied. Please see Appendix 1 for further details.
On starting employment: if a new employee is starting within your team you may need to make reasonable adjustments.
At any point during employment with us.
When undertaking learning and development.
On a change of role or transfer or working environment or conditions.
Before considering/making a reasonable adjustment there are many important issues that need to be taken into consideration. As the manager, please ensure that you complete the Reasonable Adjustment Action Plan with the employee (Appendix 2).
4.3 Is there a format for the discussion with the employee I can use?
Please refer to Appendix 2 – Action Plan.