1.1 This policy aims to explain how to access support in relation to a health condition impacting a person at work, amounting to a disability under the Equality Act 2010. The purpose of this policy is to support disabled people at work in a pro-active, collaborative, transparent, and effective way, with a ‘human-first’ approach.
1.2 We strongly promote diversity and inclusion, and we want people to feel confident in being accepted and supported when they are at work. We are an equal opportunities employer, will consider all reasonable adjustments, and welcome input from individuals on adjustments that could support them.
1.3 Other relevant policies in relation to support for disabled workers that should be read alongside this one include the sick leave policy, flexible working policy, equality & diversity policy and harassment & bullying policy.
1.4 For any questions in relation to this policy, please contact your HR team on [email protected]. All questions and comments are welcomed.
2. Disclosure
2.1 Disclosure is the process of a person making a current or prospective employer aware of their disability (or another’s, such as a child’s). Under the Equality Act 2010, a person is disabled if they have a ‘physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities. Disclosure is a voluntary decision and should be treated sensitively and confidentially. By disclosing a disability, employees can be supported as effectively as possible, and should never be treated negatively as a result.
2.2 To disclose a disability, a person should inform their line manager about their health condition that impacts them at work. This can be done via conversation or via email but should then be notified to HR as soon as possible.
2.3 Upon disclosure, the disabled person should be signposted to this and other relevant policies. Any immediate practical support measures should be confirmed in writing, if relevant. A follow-up discussion about reasonable adjustments should be arranged as soon as possible. Reasonable adjustments agreed upon should be recorded in a Workplace Adjustment Agreement.
2.4 The disabled person’s manager (or other relevant employee, such as a hiring manager) should be offered training on how best to support a person with this condition as soon as possible, if available and/or relevant. They should feel confident in applying reasonable adjustments and in how to access further support (such as relevant budgets). Managers should be aware of the need to offer potential adjustments that may be necessary, and their duty to ensure adjustments are properly implemented.
2.5 Disclosure can happen at any time, including during recruitment, before employment begins, or at any time during employment. All disclosures will be treated with respect, with the central focus being on providing the most effective support possible.
3. Requesting Reasonable Adjustments
3.1 A reasonable adjustment is a change made by an employer to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to an employee’s disability when doing a job, or a job applicant’s disability when applying for a job. Broadly speaking, these may be related to provision criteria or practices (e.g requirements for flexible working arrangements), a physical feature (e.g seating arrangements in an office), or the provision of an auxiliary aid (e.g assistive technology).
3.2 A person disclosing a disability may, but does not have to, ask for reasonable adjustments to support them with challenges they are experiencing at work because of their disability. The process should be explored in a collaborative and supportive way.
3.3 To request reasonable adjustments, a person can notify their line manager or HR of the challenges they are experiencing at work in relation to their disability and the reasonable adjustments they would like to help them overcome this. This may be done at the same time as disclosure.
3.4 As soon as reasonably possible, an initial conversation will be held between a person and their manager or HR to establish possible adjustments to overcome any specific work-related challenges arising from their disability. The focus of this conversation should be on providing support for the barriers a person experiences.
All formal meetings about reasonable adjustments should be held in an accessible format for the disabled person, and they should be offered the option to bring a person of their choice for support.
This conversation should address the below questions: