Employment Guide · 2026/27

Reasonable Adjustments at Work: Your Legal Rights Explained

The Equality Act 2010 places a positive legal duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and job applicants. This guide explains who is covered, what “reasonable” means in practice, and how to request an adjustment.

Last updated: 3 July 2026Last reviewed: 3 July 2026How we verify

The Legal Duty

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a positive duty to make reasonable adjustments where a disabled employee, worker or job applicant is placed at a substantial disadvantage by a workplace provision, criterion or practice, or by a physical feature of the workplace, compared with someone who is not disabled. Unlike most discrimination protections, this is a proactive duty — an employer cannot simply wait to be asked and then decide whether to act.

What Counts as a Disability

The legal test is a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term (lasting, or expected to last, 12 months or more) adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This covers a very wide range of conditions, including mental health conditions, chronic pain, neurodivergence such as autism and ADHD, and fluctuating conditions where symptoms come and go.

Certain conditions — cancer, HIV infection and multiple sclerosis — are treated as a disability from the point of diagnosis, regardless of the current effect of symptoms.

Examples of Reasonable Adjustments

Flexible or altered working hours, or a phased return to work after absence
Working from home, in whole or in part
Specialist equipment — an adjustable desk, screen-reading software, an ergonomic chair
Modifying premises — ramps, accessible toilets, better lighting
Adjusting performance targets or the way absence is managed for disability-related sickness
Providing a support worker, job coach, or additional supervision and training time
Redeploying to a different role if the current one cannot reasonably be adjusted

What Makes an Adjustment “Reasonable”

There is no fixed checklist, but tribunals and the Acas Code of Practice consider factors including:

How effective the adjustment would be in removing the disadvantage
The practicality of making the change
Its cost, weighed against the size and financial resources of the employer
Whether funding — such as an Access to Work grant — is available to offset the cost
The extent of any disruption to the wider business

A large, well-resourced employer is generally expected to go further than a very small business with limited means.

The Access to Work Grant

Access to Work is a government scheme that can pay towards the practical support a disabled employee needs to do their job — specialist equipment, a support worker or job coach, travel to work costs where public transport is not accessible, or a workplace assessment. Because it can substantially reduce or eliminate the cost to the employer, it weakens any argument that a particular adjustment is unaffordable. See our Access to Work scheme guide for the full application process.

How to Request an Adjustment

Put your request in writing to your manager or HR, describing the difficulty you face and, if you can, the adjustment you think would help.
You do not need to use the word “disability” formally — describing the impact is enough to trigger the duty once the employer is or should be aware.
A workplace needs assessment (occupational health, or an Access to Work assessment) can help identify practical options if you are unsure what to ask for.
Keep a written record of the request and any response — this matters if a dispute arises later.

If Your Employer Refuses

Raise the refusal formally through your employer's grievance procedure first, asking for the reasons in writing. If it remains unresolved, Acas early conciliation is a compulsory step before bringing an Employment Tribunal claim for a failure to make reasonable adjustments, which is a form of disability discrimination. Claims generally must be brought within 3 months less one day of the act complained of, so do not delay seeking advice.

FAQs

What counts as a disability under the Equality Act 2010?

A physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term (lasting or expected to last 12 months or more) adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Certain conditions, including cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis, are automatically covered from diagnosis.

When does the duty to make adjustments arise?

The duty applies once an employer knows, or could reasonably be expected to know, that an employee or job applicant is disabled and is placed at a substantial disadvantage compared with non-disabled colleagues by a workplace provision, criterion, practice, or physical feature.

What makes an adjustment "reasonable"?

There is no fixed list — it depends on factors including how effective the adjustment would be, its cost relative to the size and resources of the employer, practicality, and the extent of any disruption caused. A larger employer is generally expected to do more than a very small one.

What is the Access to Work grant?

Access to Work is a government scheme that can fund adjustments an employer might otherwise find too costly — such as specialist equipment, a support worker, travel to work costs, or workplace assessments — reducing the cost argument an employer could otherwise raise.

Can an employer refuse a requested adjustment?

Yes, if it is genuinely not reasonable in the circumstances, but the employer should be able to explain why and should have properly explored alternatives. An outright refusal with no consideration of alternatives, or refusal that is really about cost when Access to Work funding was available, is much harder to justify.

What can I do if my employer refuses reasonable adjustments?

Raise it formally through your employer's grievance procedure first. If unresolved, Acas early conciliation is a compulsory step before an Employment Tribunal claim for disability discrimination, which must generally be brought within 3 months less a day of the discriminatory act.

Does the duty apply to job applicants and interviews?

Yes. The Equality Act duty applies at recruitment as well as during employment, so an employer must consider adjustments to the application or interview process — such as extra time, alternative formats, or accessible venues — for a disabled candidate.

Do I need a formal medical diagnosis to be covered?

Not necessarily. What matters legally is whether your condition meets the substantial and long-term impairment test, which can sometimes be established through your own evidence and the effect on daily life even before a full diagnosis is confirmed, though medical evidence usually strengthens a request.

Can I be treated badly for asking for an adjustment?

No — this would be victimisation, which is unlawful in its own right under the Equality Act. Being subjected to a detriment, disciplined, or dismissed because you requested or enforced your right to a reasonable adjustment can form a separate tribunal claim.

Are agency workers and contractors protected in the same way?

The Equality Act's definition of "worker" is broad and generally extends the reasonable adjustments duty to agency workers and some contractors doing the work personally, not just direct employees, though the employer and agency's respective responsibilities can need untangling in practice.

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Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal advice. Whether a particular adjustment is reasonable depends heavily on individual circumstances — consult Acas, a disability charity such as Scope, or a qualified employment solicitor for advice on your specific situation.