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Take part: tips on talking to employers about reasonable adjustments

Sharon Mod

Hello everyone!

We would like your help in sharing lived experiences of talking to your employer about accessing reasonable adjustments. We're looking for your wisdom, advice or tips for broaching the conversation, and what made it easier. 

Please could you share insight on how you went about the conversation, and how the reasonable adjustments were put in place? What worked well and what didn't? And if you could give advice to someone having the same conversation, what would you suggest they say? 

You can send your tips by replying to this post or submit them anonymously by emailing socialmedia@nas.org.uk. We will use short quotes from the tips we receive on our website and social media channels to share your wisdom with others in our community. 

(To see an example of what the series may look like, here are tips about Halloween shared by our community: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBbnNVxsFA9/

Please remember the Online Community forum is public, so don’t post personal or identifying details. This includes, but is not limited to, full names, addresses, contact details, social media, or photographs of yourself. 

We look forward to reading your tips!

Kind regards,
Sharon Mod

Parents

  • The idea of asking for reasonable adjustments should be straightforward but my experience says not. It depends on your manager / employers attitude and internal biases based on stereotypes. I tried everything including disability advisor and occupational health, who were supportive and suggested reasonable adjustments. In the end my manager chose to ignore my requests stating that they were unreasonable so refused and removed from my career role of over 30 years. I am now in the redeployment process with little hope of success in finding a suitable role due to my very niche qualifications and experience.

    I have been in temporary positions which is more or less deskilling me. I face the prospect of my employment being terminated and a hefty legal bill for taking my employer to to a tribunal.

    All this in a public sector organisation that people call the caring profession. 

  • in reply to Mr T

    Best tips following on from  excellent breakdown is to ensure you get everything in writing. Use email to confirm verbal discussions.

    It is best to be forewarned to cover yourself. Try to get an Occupational Health report if you can.

  • in reply to Mr T

    Thanks  Even if the employer does not respond to e-mails this says a lot about how one is being treated too.  Eventually one might find an opportunity in the same workplace to address this and this evidence can be used to support one's continuing efforts to gain reasonable adjustments.  (Not just for oneself but also other autistic people in the same organisation) Likewise the Occ Health report carries a lot of "weight" in employment situations - and any negotiation about reasonable adjustments needs to include it's findings and recommendations.   Employers don't have to follow it - however if they do not it is "frowned upon" in any further legal contest - I personally find it hard not to behave as if legal contest will be an end game based on past experience too!  However doing one's utmost to remain optimistic of a positive outcome and "leveraging" the report to achieve this as part of the "difficult conversation" process is a tip I would like to pass on to those perhaps not so ground down as myself :-) .

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  • in reply to Mr T

    Thanks  Even if the employer does not respond to e-mails this says a lot about how one is being treated too.  Eventually one might find an opportunity in the same workplace to address this and this evidence can be used to support one's continuing efforts to gain reasonable adjustments.  (Not just for oneself but also other autistic people in the same organisation) Likewise the Occ Health report carries a lot of "weight" in employment situations - and any negotiation about reasonable adjustments needs to include it's findings and recommendations.   Employers don't have to follow it - however if they do not it is "frowned upon" in any further legal contest - I personally find it hard not to behave as if legal contest will be an end game based on past experience too!  However doing one's utmost to remain optimistic of a positive outcome and "leveraging" the report to achieve this as part of the "difficult conversation" process is a tip I would like to pass on to those perhaps not so ground down as myself :-) .

Children
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