{"id":90798,"date":"2023-01-19T12:11:35","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T10:11:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/?p=90798"},"modified":"2026-03-27T14:21:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T12:21:34","slug":"disability-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/disability-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Disability at Work: Equality Act and Reasonable Adjustments"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the introduction of <\/span>The Equality Act 2010,<\/b> businesses have had a duty to rethink disability at work. The legislation requires employers to remove workplace barriers for people with disabilities. It also mandates making reasonable adjustments whenever possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

This article will provide a detailed explanation of the Equality Act. Additionally, it also outlines all the steps to take make necessary reasonable adjustments for your disabled employees.<\/p>\n

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  1. What is The Equality Act?\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  2. What are Reasonable Adjustments?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Reasonable Adjustments: Examples\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Do You Have to Make Reasonable Adjustments?\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  5. How Long Does an Employer Have to Make Reasonable Adjustments?\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. What Happens if You Don\u2019t Comply<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  7. How to Avoid Complaints<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  8. \u2705 <\/span>Try Factorial Free for 14 Days<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"All<\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/a>What is The Equality Act?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

    According to the UK Government, \u201cthe Equality Act 2010 <\/span>protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.\u201d More specifically, this act protects against discrimination from occurring in “employment, education, access to goods, services and facilities, and buying and renting land or property”.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    The Equality Act 2010<\/a> came into force on 1st October 2010, and applies to any unlawful treatment, discrimination or victimisation that occurs after that date.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In the past, lawmakers introduced various anti-discrimination laws that did not sufficiently protect workers. The Equality Act replaced all of these laws with a single Act, <\/b>making<\/span> the rules easier to understand and giving people more protection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Regarding employment, employers must support disabled employees to the best of their abilities by making reasonable adjustments.<\/p>\n

    <\/a>What are Reasonable Adjustments?<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Reasonable adjustments are specific<\/span> provisions relating to disability<\/span><\/a> at work are included within The Equality Act. Here, the concept of \u2018discrimination arising from disability\u2019 is spotlighted, alongside thresholds for the duty to <\/span>make reasonable adjustments<\/b> for disabled people in the workplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In other words, organizations and service providers must accommodate disabled people if their disability puts them at a disadvantage compared to those who are not disabled.<\/strong> This includes both physical disabilities and mental health<\/a> conditions.<\/p>\n

    Different employers interpret the word \u201creasonable\u201d in different ways. However, employers should consider carefully if adjustments will remove disadvantages by liaising with the people involved and avoiding assumptions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Ideally, the adjustment would be <\/span>practical to make and also affordable <\/b>as it is the responsibility of the employer to fund these changes. The cost of an adjustment can be taken into account when deciding if it is reasonable or not. There is a government scheme called <\/span>Access To Work<\/b><\/a> which can help with come costs for employees or interviewees if those costs are not reasonable for you as an employee to pay.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/a>Reasonable Adjustments: Examples<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Managing a disability at work might mean making reasonable adjustments tailored to the employee in question. This can involve a range of actions, such as making physical changes to the workplace or providing the necessary equipment and support. The<\/strong> goal is to ensure that the individual can perform their job effectively without facing unnecessary barriers<\/strong>. Examples of reasonable adjustments in the workplace include:<\/span><\/p>\n