Guide
Reasonable adjustments at work: examples
A reasonable adjustment is a change to how, when or where you work that removes a disadvantage caused by a disability or long-term health condition. The examples below are the kinds of changes UK employers are commonly asked for, grouped by the difficulty they address. This is general information about the process, not legal advice.
There is no fixed list
Adjustments are judged on your job and your circumstances, so the same change can be reasonable in one workplace and not in another. Employers usually weigh how well it removes the disadvantage, cost, practicality, and the effect on the wider team. Use these examples as a starting point, then describe the version that fits your role.
Long-term physical health conditions
- • A phased return after time off, building hours back up over a set number of weeks.
- • More frequent or longer rest breaks, with the timing agreed rather than requested each day.
- • A parking space closer to the entrance, or a ground-floor workspace.
- • Lighter or shared manual handling duties, or equipment to reduce lifting.
- • Flexibility to attend hospital and treatment appointments without using annual leave.
Mental health conditions
- • Regular short check-ins with a named manager instead of ad-hoc feedback.
- • Advance notice of meetings and agendas so preparation is possible.
- • A quieter desk, a screen, or agreed use of a private room for calls.
- • Adjusted start times to avoid peak-time travel.
- • A written wellbeing or stress risk assessment reviewed at set intervals.
- • An agreed plan for what happens during a period of higher symptoms, including workload cover.
Neurodivergence — autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia
- • Written instructions and follow-up notes after verbal briefings.
- • Noise-cancelling headphones, or a workstation away from high-traffic areas.
- • Longer or split deadlines and one task at a time rather than several in parallel.
- • Screen-reading, dictation or proofreading software, and extra time in written assessments.
- • Adjusted recruitment or appraisal formats, such as interview questions sent in advance.
- • Consistent routines and advance warning of changes to shifts or duties.
Sensory impairments
- • Screen-reader compatible documents and accessible file formats as standard.
- • Larger monitors, magnification software, or adjustable lighting.
- • A hearing loop, captions on video calls, or a British Sign Language interpreter for meetings.
- • Visual as well as audible fire and emergency alerts.
Mobility and access
- • Height-adjustable desks, specialist chairs or footrests following an assessment.
- • Homeworking for some or all of the week where the role allows.
- • Relocation to an accessible floor, or accessible toilet and kitchen facilities.
- • Support with the commute, including staggered hours or taxi arrangements.
Fluctuating and recurring conditions
- • A higher trigger point before absence management steps apply, so disability-related absence is treated separately.
- • Disability leave recorded distinctly from ordinary sickness absence.
- • Adjusted targets during flare-ups, with a review date rather than an open-ended change.
- • The option to swap shifts or work from home at short notice on bad days.
How to ask for an adjustment
- • Name the difficulty, not the diagnosis. You are describing what part of the job is harder and why, so you do not have to share more medical detail than you are comfortable with.
- • Suggest the specific change you want, and how long you want it for — permanent, trial period, or reviewed on a date.
- • Explain how the change removes the disadvantage. That link is what an employer is being asked to consider.
- • Offer supporting information: an occupational health report, GP letter, or an Access to Work assessment.
- • Put it in writing and keep a copy, even if you have already spoken to your manager.
- • Ask for a written response, including reasons if anything is refused.
If your request is turned down
Ask for the reasons in writing and for the alternatives your employer did consider. It is often worth proposing a trial period, a cheaper version of the same change, or an occupational health referral before escalating. If the position does not move, the next formal step is usually a written grievance setting out the disadvantage, the adjustment you asked for, and the response you received. Some workplace claims carry strict time limits, so it is worth checking where you stand early.
Put your request in writing
RightWords asks you about your role, the difficulty and the change you want, then builds a clear written adjustments request you can download as a Word document. We prepare documents and explain the process — we are not an AI lawyer and we don't provide legal representation.