The challenges of implementing reasonable adjustments at work

9 min read

Last updated

14 April 2025

First published

11 April 2025

Kate Wright

Kate is a writer and brand champion, on the hunt for the best innovations in health and wellbeing.

As professionals in workplace wellbeing, we want to do our very best to support our colleagues. In human resources, health and safety, or equality, diversity, and inclusion roles, we’re genuinely committed to equality and inclusion and know the value of reasonable adjustments at work.

These adjustments aim to bring fairness to the workplace and, according to the Equality Act 2010, employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to make sure employees with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, are not substantially disadvantaged when doing their jobs.

But it's not simply about compliance. Reasonable adjustments are a very positive opportunity, and shouldn’t be seen as a burden. They are a fantastic method to boost productivity and create a more inclusive workplace.

However, implementing those reasonable adjustments can have its challenges. This blog sheds light on the issues employers might have when trying to identify, agree and implement workplace adjustments in their organisations.

Together with Posturite team members, I'll discuss challenges employers face and ways forward to successfully create a more inclusive work environment.

The challenges of implementing reasonable adjustments at work

While the principle of reasonable adjustments is fundamental to fostering an inclusive workforce, employers sometimes report a range of challenges in their practical implementation. Understanding these hurdles is crucial for organisations aiming to not only comply with the law but also to cultivate a supportive and equitable environment for all employees.

Who usually takes the lead on reasonable adjustments? This varies widely. Quite often, the HR team takes responsibility for reasonable adjustments because not all reasonable adjustments are physical - some of them might be contractual, and also, HR personnel are skilled in dealing with people and the required confidentiality. In other organisations, health and safety teams or EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) managers handle the identification and control of risks and issues, ensuring the safety of reasonable adjustments, and of course also maintaining confidentiality. A health-related issue needing a reasonable adjustment at work – such as a return to work after a stroke – might sit in a health and safety team, with support from occupational health professionals.

It's usually essential to involve a line manager in the conversations and decisions, because they have a thorough understanding of an employee’s role.

So let’s look at each potential challenge in turn:

1. Understanding reasonable adjustments and legal compliance

It’s important to gain an understanding of the Equality Act 2010 if you’re a decision maker for reasonable adjustments in the UK. This is the law that protects people from unlawful discrimination in the workplace. It’s against the law to discriminate against anyone because of the following protected characteristics: disability, age, gender reassignment, being married or in a civil partnership, being pregnant or on maternity leave, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Staff responsible for implementing reasonable adjustments at work should take the time to get a good understanding of:

What reasonable adjustments are
When reasonable adjustments should be offered
What employers are expected to do by law and mitigate legal risks

Disability Awareness Training can help with this learning.

Legal professionals specialising in Employment Law, either inhouse or on a consulting basis, can support HR and health and safety managers on making the appropriate decisions on reasonable adjustments in a legal sense.

However, reasonable adjustments are not just about legal compliance.

There are good moral and financial reasons to implement workplace adjustments:

Employers have a duty of care to their employees. Ensuring fairness and fostering inclusivity is the right thing for employers to do.
Helping an employee to be able to do their best work makes financial sense to your business or organisation because they will be more productive if they receive the right reasonable adjustments. We’ve got to get better at supporting disabled people at work.

On that note, the UK government’s report The Employment of Disabled People 2024, reveals that only 53% of disabled people were employed in Q2 2024, compared to 81% of non-disabled people. That difference is enormous and needs to be improved.

2. Opening up about disability at work and employee communication

With her personal experience and that of speaking to people both on the employee and employer ‘side’, I asked Lead Consultant Katharine Metters at Posturite why employees might be hesitant to open up about a disability to an employer?

“Fear of discrimination. Also privacy. Many people understandably don't want colleagues at work knowing their business. It could also be that they don't want to be seen or treated differently. They just want to be treated like everybody else. They often report that it might make them feel vulnerable. People with a disability or health condition also might not be aware of their entitlement, and that they are entitled to support and reasonable adjustments in many cases.

Over the years, I’ve spoken to working people who live with severe pain and others with significant health problems, but they don't want ‘to be a problem’ or ‘draw attention to themselves’. And sadly, others in this situation of a disability or poor health are concerned that they might lose their job. Some people are fearful because unfortunately they don't trust their employer. Sadly that distrust of a current employer might be due to a bad experience with a former employer, but may affect open conversations with the current employer.

The majority of organisations we at Posturite work with are good at providing or working towards the right reasonable adjustments and treating their employees fairly. Many public sector employers, for example, (justifiably) have a good record of being supportive in terms of workplace adjustments."

Katharine’s advice to somebody who was in pain and was hesitant to ask for reasonable adjustments is:

“Do ask; you are protected by the law and it is likely that you will not only be happier, you'll likely be more productive too. You'll probably be able to do a better job for your employer if you're not distracted by pain or other challenges. So it's a win-win for you and your employer. I really think that you should raise the issue and have a conversation.”

And conversation is key. Demonstrate to your workforce that you embrace inclusivity and are keen to support workers with disabilities and health conditions in the way that you communicate – and then staff will have more confidence to seek out support when they need it.

Open and honest communication is what you’re aiming for, within a culture of sensitivity and respect. Open conversation is the most effective way to find solutions and to get reasonable adjustments right. Without it, you could be guessing what an employee needs; it's also a good opportunity for both an employer and employee to feel heard. Make this less adversarial. Just sitting down together with a cup of coffee can help an employee realise the employer is just trying to do their best, is sympathetic and is open to suggestions. They’ll feel safer.

Acquiring knowledge about the diverse needs arising from disabilities is a challenge that definitely can be overcome. As well as taking Disability Awareness Training, there is a great deal of information available from specialist organisations, including:

Here I’ve named just a few. Enhance your understanding. Listen to what your employee tells you is a difficult for them in their role, as everyone is different.

Videos can also help you learn about workplace adjustments. The Posturite webinar collection has useful information on themes such as supporting people at work with autism and menopause. For example, the ‘Hearing loss: discover the latest workplace adjustments’ webinar is very helpful for anyone interested in supporting employees affected by hearing loss:

3. Establishing clear processes for requesting adjustments

A fair, efficient process is the goal. Demonstrate to your teams that reasonable adjustments are just part of normal business. ‘This is what we do: somebody needs some help – so we take action.’ If you create a clear process for managers and staff, then no one is being left behind. Do tell employees during their induction and recruitment process that it’s your policy to provide reasonable adjustments when they’re needed, and how and who to request them from. If this opportunity starts ‘from the word go’, then it will be embedded.

Explain to employees, if you wish, about the government Access To Work service and what your policy or process is in this area. Access to Work is a publicly funded employment support programme doing good work to support disabled individuals in starting or maintaining employment. It offers both practical and financial assistance for those with disabilities or physical or mental health conditions.

One option for your clear process for reasonable adjustments is to use Posturite’s Managed Service. The self-assessment software within this service asks an employee ‘Do you have a disability as described under the Equality Act 2010?’. Your chosen team member or Posturite case manager can then be notified to pick that up and have a conversation about any support needed and if a request for reasonable adjustments is required.

4. Limited budget and resources

Employers are often concerned about the budget for reasonable adjustments at work. However, remember that reasonable adjustments can be low in cost – or indeed involve a change that costs nothing at all. Noise cancellation headsets for neurodiverse employees are low in cost, for example. “Something as simple and small in cost as an ergonomic footrest can solve so many different problems for somebody at their workstation”, points out Nick Coomber, Managed Service Manager at Posturite.

“The support an employee needs to resolve an issue could be very minimal. It could be going to see somebody at their desk and just giving them five minutes of your time, to show them how to adjust their chair in order to resolve discomfort or pain.”

When flexible working conditions are requested, this again could not have a cost impact on an organisation.

It’s true that equipment, assistive technology, training and coaching need to be paid for if it’s required, but the employer can review what will be ‘reasonable’ for them. If you are a small retail outlet with four employees, you’re going to have a completely different budget available compared to a large corporation with thousands of employees.

5. Determining what is "reasonable"

As an employer deciding what is reasonable in terms of "reasonable" adjustments at work, you need to find out what the individual’s needs are and what they're trying to do in their tasks and in their role at work.

That’s a simple statement, and in reality, it is a combination of many factors. Whatever is put in place should level the playing field so that an employee can work as somebody who doesn't have that disability or health condition.

And the point is that you have a duty to remove disadvantage, and your employee will be enabled to do their job well and make a valuable contribution to your work.

“But you know, the employer also needs to be able to continue with their business, whilst accommodating needs and being fair to their employees” Katharine Metters says. You’re looking for a good solution for both employee and employer. It is a unique decision each time.

There is help available to employers. When you book a Workplace Needs Assessment for your employee, you will receive a detailed report of recommendations from the experienced assessor, which you can review. The assessment report gives you the information you need to help you make your decision on the adjustments you can implement. It will prevent you from wasting money on adjustments that may be ineffective.

Access to Work assessments can alternatively be used, if you prefer.

6. Remote and hybrid workers

Life is more complex for employers organising reasonable adjustments now that it’s more common to have hybrid or fully remote staff. It’s a challenge, certainly. You may be wondering if employers need to provide workplace adjustments for home as well as the office. An employer must look after the person's health, safety and efficiency, no matter where they are working.

The section of an employee’s employment contract stating where their place of work is important here, but it’s advisable not to make this an ‘excuse’ for not providing reasonable adjustments for working from home. If you allow employees to work from home, then legally, you have the same duty of care to them.

Katharine Metters explains more:

“Employers will at times be required to make reasonable adjustments for homeworkers, if it's appropriate.

It’s not as simple as the amount of time spent in a location, but also the tasks that they are doing and the adjustments that they need. So depending on the tasks, perhaps your employee only needs the adjustments at home? Because when they’re in the office, they’re in meetings and not inputting at a computer, and for that your employee doesn’t need adjustments? Or maybe it’s the other way around and adjustments are needed only in the office - or in both locations. So you can see the decision is dependent on various factors, but the onus is on the employer to make sure staff have what they need to do the work and to be safe.”

For your interest, here is how 185 health and safety professionals I surveyed in 2023 answered the question ‘If you provide reasonable adjustments in the office, do you also provide the same for home?’:

68% Yes
16% No
16% Sometimes / Other

The complexity that you face with providing reasonable adjustments for different working locations can be dramatically eased with Posturite’s Managed Service. This team can deliver assessments and triage calls for you, and also handle all of the admin, including allocating resources and keeping an audit trail.

Final thoughts

I asked Katharine what she thinks is the biggest challenge of implementing reasonable adjustments at work. I was expecting her to say it’s finding the money to pay for them. Instead, she commented:

“I suspect fear of not doing the right thing could be the biggest barrier. I think employers can be fearful that what they decide to do may be challenged and questioned.”

Getting reasonable adjustments right is the topic of hundreds of conversations between Posturite and their clients week in, week out. Employers can see the team as a ‘safe space’ for help and advice. On offer are the time-saving and streamlined:

Managed Service to help with workplace adjustments and DSE risk reduction
The Diagnostic Assessments and Workplace Needs Assessments, as well as the equipment and technology that employees can utilise.

The challenges teams face while providing reasonable adjustments can be significant, but there is great satisfaction to be had by seeing the transformative power of the right support for a disabled person and someone who is substantially disadvantaged.