Why provide ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ in the Workplace?

Some employers may shy away from this subject of providing adjustments for staff and if they do, this is usually due to a lack of awareness…both in terms of ‘what to do’, why they need to do this (from a legal perspective) and in terms of how cost effective and beneficial this can be in the longer term for everyone involved.

Often there is a lack of clarity and when clear processes are not in place there is the potential for negative consequences for both the employing organisation and for the staff they employ.
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Sadly, there are countless individuals struggling with work-tasks, especially at the current time, and many do not feel safe to speak out and seek support.  However, there are those individuals who, when they have spoken out and tried to access support, they’ve found their employing organisation doesn’t take any action. 
Shocking though it may be, as a consequence of speaking out, some individuals report thereafter experience being bullied and being overlooked for promotion etc.  

​This situation just isn’t good enough. People shouldn’t be fearful of speaking out and we need to remove the barriers to inclusion within their work environments - going further than physical and cultural inclusion. All employing organisations need to understand that whether to provide workplace adjustments or not – is a must and not an option. 

A useful way forward with this could be for us to raise awareness of the potential benefits to the ‘bottom line’ (the money factor) if tailored workplace adjustments are provided.  Taking this perspective is more likely to get the attention of those who are more focused on the ‘business needs’ than they are on the potential impact on their colleagues.  

Taken from Access to Work (Dept. for Work and Pensions, UK) statistics 2017/2018 and *quoted by the British Dyslexia Association in their report ‘Showcasing the ND Workplace) the cost of ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ was a maximum of £3,121 and for many individuals it was less than this.

When we focus on the benefits of retaining an ‘established’ member of staff there is likely to be increased *‘productivity - up to 15%; increased standard of service levels to customers leading to increased sales; reduction in turnover; reduced recruitment costs (min £12,000) and retention of knowledge capital (how things get done, organisational memory, discovery and learning)’. 

Taking this ‘cost benefit analysis’ into consideration…along with what can be learnt from the increasing number of legal cases where organisations have found themselves culpable (‘on the wrong side of the law’) for not providing ‘reasonable adjustments’ – surely things will change for the better.

Providing tailored workplace adjustments for those who need them within the workplace can be a ‘win-win’ for both the business and the individual.
However, to be tailored and effective the workplace assessment should ideally be carried out by someone knowledgeable who takes time to consider both the challenges and the strengths of the individual. 

If you would like to know more about training and qualifications for workplace needs assessment for neurodiversity in the workplace, more information can be found by clicking Here.