Reasonable adjustments letter

Mr T, I'm sorry to read about your experiences with this. Your manager really needs educating!!

Isn't it going to cost them more if you are off sick because of the headaches caused by the lightbulbs though? 

No, thank you. It's right to be cautious I think. I do have a supportive manager, but they could leave and things could change quickly and I do want to be prepared for that. Thank you! 

Honestly, this is brilliant. I really appreciate your advice here. Yes, it is a lot to read through but all relevant I feel. Thank you! x

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) 

"Health Adjustment Passport"

documents (in different formats) and the guidance notes might be helpful to you too:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-adjustment-passport

There is also a relationship to the addressing and resolving some practical needs via the "Access To Work" scheme:

https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work

More information about reasonable adjustments:

https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-disabled-workers

and

https://www.acas.org.uk/reasonable-adjustments

(This might seem like a lot of information to wade through). 

Unfortunately, understanding the difference between:

- which government department views a need as related to a support need / disability / physical health / mental health / neurodivergent impact, and

- which scheme / whether a scheme views "reasonable adjustments" as within their remit (as opposed to the responsibility of the employer)

...means it might be worth reading through the documentation and thinking about the information is a way of becoming better equipped to self advocate.

In theory:

"You can get advice on reasonable adjustments from the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local JobCentre Plus office."

https://find-your-nearest-jobcentre.dwp.gov.uk/search.php

... however, although I have asked various sources of information in my area; I have yet to locate a DEA with whom to test the service available.  My area is rural - maybe people might have better fortune with their enquiry in a more urban area.

It can be worth considering presenting requests within the context of "To aid my productivity in the workplace ...". (Adapt it to how you like to say things).

If you have already tried some strategies of your own, reviewed what was / was not so - helpful to you - that can strengthen your approach too: "I tried a), b) and c); however, I found a) worked well, but I discovered these barriers with approaches b) and c) - with which I realise I need some further assistance.". (People may not have noticed your efforts so far in adapting to your challenging workplace environment - it is time to advertise your own endeavours and ask for help).

It can be difficult if your manager / colleagues / HR are accustomed to you in masking / camouflaging.  Sometimes, depending upon how you experience your Autism; you might need to remind people how much hidden effort is involved for you navigating and accommodating those things in the workplace which are an uphill battle (the things and situations which sap your energy more than other colleagues may experience in the same situation).

With one team; I found it necessary to remind / educate them that: although they may have experienced me as having apparently "low support needs" compared with other Autistic people with whom they may have worked or known ...there was (as I experienced things in their workplace) a large delta between "low" and "no" support needs.

It can also be important to explain to people the dynamic nature of Autism as a disability.  People might have heard of spiky skills profiles - and yet they may not appreciate something which you can manage on one day ...may not be the case on another given day (there may be a complex interplay of wider context to be balanced).

Best wishes with your progressing / lobbying in support of provision and respect for your support needs / reasonable adjustments and necessary boundaries in the workplace.

The advice given here is sound. Get everything in writing and I mean everything.

Be prepared to stand up for your rights as it is unlikely anyone else will. Hopefully you will be lucky and have a supportive manager and everything will go swimmingly. But be prepared and prioritise what your red lines are. That is what you really need rather than what you would like.

Sorry I jumped onto a couple of posts with negativity.

Iain said:

change the light bulbs above my desk to be non-flourescent as these cause me headaches

Tried that one and was met with it would cost too much to change the lighting to daylight generating bulbs.

Ditto in my situation. OH advised adjustments but manager refused and came up with lame excuses as justifications even displaying stereotypical ableism and bias.

But I agree that having that OH input is very useful as your employer will find it very difficult to justify why they ignored medical guidance if you get to tribunal.

Thank you this is really helpful to me

I actually put one in last week but mine was a mix of a statutory request of flexible working and reasonable adjustments. Yesterday had a informal chat & my manager agreed to everything I had requested but I have had to send a follow up email just recapping what was said in the meeting & reminding my manager that it was a formal statutory request and requires written confirmation. Always good to create a paper trail & get any agreements in writing. I'll put my request below, hopefully it's of some help

Statutory Flexible Working & Reasonable Adjustments Request 

To: *********, Manager

From: *******

Staff/Payroll Number: *******

National Insurance No: *******

Date: *******

Dear ******,

I'm writing to formally make a statutory request to change my working pattern under my right to request flexible working, as provided by Section 80F of the Employment Rights Act 1996, and also with consideration for my rights under the Equality Act 2010.

My Current Working Pattern

Following my previous flexible working request in (Date), my working pattern was formally agreed to be morning shifts only. Since (date), I have also informally been working four days a week. Currently, my working pattern is four days a week, with morning shifts from (Time) to (Time), My contractual hours are (Hours) per week.

My Proposed New Working Pattern

I'd like to formalise my working pattern to:

*Work four days per week.

*Continue working morning shifts only (Time - Time)

*Have Wednesday as a fixed, non-working day.

*Work one weekend on, followed by one weekend off (or two weekends a month).

I would like this new working pattern to commence from (date)

Reason for Request

This request aims to formalise my existing successful working arrangement and to incorporate adjustments that will significantly improve my well-being and work-life balance, which are particularly important given my autism and family responsibilities.

Formalising 4 Days a Week & Morning Shifts:

My morning-only shifts were formalised in (Date) and have continued to be effective. This request seeks to formally recognise the four-day week, which has been informally in place since (Date) and has also proven successful for both me and the business. Formalising this will provide clarity and consistency for all parties. Continuing with morning shifts remains crucial for my family commitments, specifically for caring for my children.

Fixed Wednesday Off (Equality Act Request):

Having Wednesday as a fixed day off is particularly important to support my needs related to autism. A mid-week break provides a structured opportunity to:

 * Decompress and manage sensory overload: Working consecutive days can lead to accumulated stress and sensory fatigue. A predictable mid-week break allows me to regulate and reset, preventing burnout.

 * Plan and attend essential appointments: A consistent day off provides a reliable window for scheduling clinical, medical, or therapeutic appointments that are important for managing my autism, without impacting my working hours or team coverage.

 * Maintain routine and predictability: For individuals with autism, routine is vital. A fixed day off creates a predictable rhythm that contributes to overall stability and reduces anxiety.

 * Engage in self-care activities: This dedicated time allows me to engage in activities that help manage my well-being, which ultimately supports my ability to perform consistently at work.

Alternative Weekends:

Working one weekend on, followed by one weekend off (or only working two weekends a month), where possible, is requested to achieve a healthier work-home life balance and spend quality time with my children. This flexibility would allow for more consistent family time, which is essential for their development and my personal well-being.

Impact of Proposed Change

I believe this formalisation and these adjustments will have a positive or neutral impact on my employer and colleagues:

 * No disruption to current operations: The four-day week and morning-only shifts are already well-established.

 * Improved employee well-being and retention: By supporting my needs related to autism and family life, I anticipate increased job satisfaction and continued strong performance.

 * Predictability for scheduling: A fixed day off and planned alternative weekends can be easily incorporated into team rotas, providing clear expectations for coverage.

Thank you for considering my request. I'm confident that these adjustments will benefit both myself and the company, ensuring my continued dedication and productivity. I look forward to discussing this with you further.

Sincerely,

(Name)

Thank you! I will look into that. It sounds good

Thank you. This is really very helpful. I really appreciate this x 

Thank you! This is v helpful. My manager is amazing and very understanding but I guess that could change if I get a new manager and I want to make sure I’ve got something in writing of things do change. 

Thank you! Ah, ok that makes sense as someone may not be able to write their own letter. So then it would be written in the third person but in my case it doesn’t need to be

The example is in the third person as the NHS would be writing to ask for adjustments for someone, not for themselves. E.g . John needs to have dim lighting.

If you are writing to ask for something for yourself, it can be in the first person. E.g. I would like to have dim lighting. This assumes you will sign the letter or it will be obvious who it is from and who it is about.

You could put it in the third person, but it will look a bit strange.

In Scotland, there is something you can download, it's called a Health Adjustment Passport. It's something you fill out with information, like do you require any extra help, support, or changes within the workplace. I find it very helpful. But I have found that some places say that they don't need to read it, or it's not necessary, and all I have to do is just let them know of any adjustments. But I feel like the Health Adjustment Passport is a great thing to have, 

TBH I work from home so I think there's probably less adjustments needed in general ... so what I've done is minor adjustments informally with my manager mostly it's been adjusting how we interact on a daily basis, but also I don't attend the main office, like I used to when they went in as the commute was an issue for me

HR are aware of my diagnosis, said they'd be in touch, but am not chasing them, as to a degree I'm thinking formalising it may become more restrictive, especially as I'm only 6 months in from diagnosis so still trying to make sense of it a little

I asked my manager for a referral to occupational health and I discussed the adjustments with them. They then listed what I had asked for on the report that was sent to my manager, and my manager then agreed (and disagreed) them. You don’t have to go via occupational health, but it might be helpful if you are discussing adjustments as OH can help to support them, which can make it more difficult for your manager to then say no to them - although, as I have experienced, your manager can still not agree to them if they feel it’s not reasonable.

I would recommend using a simple email stating what the reasonable adjustments you want are, for example:

Dear HR / manager, as per our discussion here are the following Reasonable Adjustments I would like to request to enable me to be the most productive in the office.

1 - Allow me to use noise cancelling headphones in the office. Note these do not impact on me having conversations and performing normal duties

2 - change the light bulbs above my desk to be non-flourescent as these cause me headaches

3 - with instructions passed from my manager I would like the directions to be specific as I struggle with understanding vagueness. I appreciate this may be challenging initially but I believe it will quickly become normalised and automatic, plus it means the work is carried out to the exact standards reqested.

etc

Remember to forward this to your personal email (assuming company policy allows this) so you have a paper trail for the request.