Reasonable Adjustments: A Manager’s Guide - July 2026
In this section
- 7. What if Someone Hasn’t Declared a Disability that you Suspect Exists?
- 8. Ensuring Equality of Treatment
- Appendix 1 - Recruitment and Selection
- Appendix 2 – Reasonable Adjustment Action Plan
- Appendix 3 - Advice and Support
- Appendix 4 – Top Tips to Support Disabled Employees
7. What if Someone Hasn’t Declared a Disability that you Suspect Exists?
As a manager you need to be aware that an employee may not tell you that they are living with a disability because:
They don’t think of themselves as living with a disability.
They don’t think they need reasonable adjustments.
They are worried about the perceived reaction of the organisation.
They fear the perception of harassment, bullying or resentment from colleagues.
As a manager you must be alert to any signs that may be disability related such as:
Their attendance has deteriorated.
Their performance at work has deteriorated.
Their behaviour at work has changed and they have become angry, withdrawn, tearful, forgetful or aggressive
Their timekeeping has deteriorated.
They appear to be in pain.
They are absent from work on medical grounds.
If any member of your team is experiencing any of these concerns, you should always consider the possibility that is may be disability related. However, do not make assumptions as all the above could be caused by other concerns or circumstances.
Rather than trying to determine whether an employee meets the definition of a disability, talk to them to try and find out what would help. Then try to introduce any adjustments you reasonably can to help them do their job either in the short or long term.
Having a good understanding of the way in which individuals in your team generally perform and behave will mean that you’re more likely to be able to identify any changes in them. In which case you should be able to have a conversation about what adjustments you may be able to make. Please refer to Appendix 4 for top tips on supporting the employee.