More Than Reasonable: Practical steps for employers to get workplace adjustments right

Reasonable adjustments are often described as one of the most effective tools employers have to support Disabled people at work and retain skilled staff. They are usually low cost, legally required, and widely recognised as good practice. Yet many employers still find them difficult to implement consistently and with confidence.

Requests can feel complex because processes are unclear. Decisions feel subjective because shared standards are missing. Managers worry about getting it wrong because systems do not consistently support them to make timely, informed decisions. The result is that adjustments are too often delayed, partially implemented, or treated as one-off solutions rather than part of how work operates.

My latest white paper, More Than Reasonable, was written to help employers navigate this reality. Drawing on evidence, policy analysis, and employer practice, it focuses not on whether adjustments matter, but on why they so often fall short and what organisations can do differently.

Adjustments work best when they are designed in

One of the central messages of More Than Reasonable is that reasonable adjustments are most effective when they are treated as part of normal workplace infrastructure, rather than as exceptional responses to individual requests.

When adjustments rely on informal conversations, discretionary judgement, or individual advocacy, outcomes will always vary. When they are designed into policies, processes, and ways of working, access becomes more predictable and less dependent on who someone reports to or how confident they feel asking.

This shift is not about removing flexibility. It is about creating clarity, consistency, and confidence for everyone involved.

Why adjustments break down in practice

The evidence in the white paper shows that breakdowns rarely stem from outright refusal alone. More often, they arise from delays, unclear decision-making, and lack of shared understanding.

Many organisations place responsibility for initiating adjustments on individuals, without making routes, timelines, or expectations visible. Managers are expected to respond appropriately, but are rarely given structured guidance or training that connects legal duties to day-to-day practice. Over time, this creates inconsistency and risk, both for employers and for Disabled people trying to stay in work.

This is not a question of intent. It is a question of design.

Quick wins for employers

Some changes take time to embed, but there are practical steps employers can take now to strengthen how adjustments work in practice.

Make the process visible

Employees should be able to see how to request an adjustment, what will happen next, who is responsible, and when they can expect a response. Clear routes and timelines reduce anxiety, prevent avoidable delays, and support fair decision-making.

Support line managers properly

Managers are often the gatekeepers of adjustments. Training should go beyond awareness and focus on how to have ongoing, constructive conversations about access, work design, and changing needs. Managers need clarity on both legal duties and internal processes.

Use Access to Work proactively

Access to Work can fund adjustments that go beyond what is reasonable for an employer to absorb alone. Employers who understand how the scheme works, and when to use it, are better placed to act quickly and avoid unnecessary disruption or cost.

Separate access from performance

Adjustment conversations should not be framed as a problem to fix or a weakness to manage. They are about enabling someone to work effectively. Keeping these discussions distinct from performance management helps build trust and encourages earlier disclosure.

Embedding adjustments for the longer term

Beyond immediate fixes, More Than Reasonable highlights the importance of moving from reactive responses to organisational capability.

This includes reviewing job design to identify where flexibility and adjustments could be built in from the outset. It means tracking adjustment requests and outcomes, not to scrutinise individuals, but to understand where systems are creating barriers. It also means ensuring that adjustments, guidance, and learning are embedded in organisational processes, so they are not lost when roles or line management change.

Workplace adjustment passports can play a useful role when they are embedded within clear organisational processes. Rather than acting as standalone documents, they work best as a mechanism for carrying agreed adjustments and practical guidance across roles and teams. This helps reduce duplication, delay, and reliance on repeated individual explanations. Passports that focus on access needs rather than medical proof are more likely to build trust and reduce repeated disclosure.

Looking ahead

The future of reasonable adjustments will be shaped by changing working patterns, rising levels of long-term health conditions, and the increasing use of digital systems and AI in the workplace. These tools offer opportunities to reduce friction and support more anticipatory approaches, but only if accessibility and governance are prioritised from the start.

The final pack in the More Than Reasonable series explores these developments in more detail, helping employers think critically about both opportunity and risk.

Where to start

Employers do not need to solve everything at once. But moving beyond treating reasonable adjustments as an afterthought is essential.

The white paper and accompanying packs are designed to support that shift. They provide clarity on legal duties, practical insight into policy mechanisms, and evidence-based recommendations for improving consistency and confidence.

The invitation is to engage with the evidence, share it internally, and use it as a starting point for strengthening how adjustments are designed and delivered in your organisation. Reasonable adjustments are not just about compliance. They are about creating work that is sustainable, resilient, and fair.