Adjustments processes

 

50% of disabled people that have fallen out of work told Scope they did not have all of the reasonable adjustments they need to work.

A reasonable adjustment can often make a significant difference for many disabled people. But too many struggle to either secure support or get it implemented.

The most common barriers experienced when it comes to adjustments are:

• delays in receiving adjustments
• employer concerns over costs
• lack of knowledge of Access to Work scheme
• rejection of adjustment requests

Recommended actions

Improve adjustment timelines

Some participants of Scope research have told us they had to wait up to 4 months for adjustments. This made the first few months a struggle and contributed to a sense of inequality.

Our lives, Our journey research (Scope)

It’s important to have a process in place for implementing adjustments. This can help to create a smooth process for both employees and employers.

Making sure there is a named person for implementing adjustments can also help. Some organisations have a dedicated adjustments team.

Although this is not possible for all organisations. If this is the case, make sure any named individuals or teams have training on:

• adjustments
• procurement

Always try to make sure that adjustments needs are implemented as close to the start date as possible.

Create a central budget and review low cost adjustments

65% of employers said the costs of reasonable adjustments is a potential barrier to employing disabled people.

A central budget for adjustments can help reduce concerns about the cost affecting departments.

Many adjustments do not cost money, for example:

• hybrid and flexible working
• allowing quiet areas in working offices. This can support a range of conditions and impairments.
• changes in working patterns
• more flexible breaks
• flexible working arrangements, like letting a cashier sit, even if the company policy is to stand
• providing a fixed desk in a hot desking office
• sending agendas and meeting slides before meetings

This is not an exhaustive list. Work with colleagues and employee groups to understand what will best support individuals.

Provide guidance on the Access to Work scheme

Our research shows that even 40% of disabled people are not aware of the government’s Access to Work scheme.

Training HR and managers on Access to Work is essential. It means they can better support with the cost and getting adjustments in place.

This should help reduce the costs employers are concerned about when organising adjustments.

A manager’s guide to Access to Work (Scope for Business)

There can be delays in processing Access to Work applications. Scope recommends organisations meet the cost of adjustments where they can. This will avoid unnecessary delays.

Monitor adjustment requests and reasons for refusal

Organisations have a legal responsibility to provide adjustments in the workplace. This removes the barriers disabled people experience that others don’t.

But 25% of disabled people said their employers did not agree to the recommendations made by an Access to Work assessor.

And 54% of employers told us that the inconvenience of arranging an adjustment is a potential barrier to employing a disabled person.

Organisations can report on their disability data. This can help to identify issues with approving adjustments. Scope recommends that employers with over 250 employees report on:

• The number of disabled people they employ
• Information on the number of adjustment requests and how many are approved
• Satisfaction rates of the adjustment process
• A comparison of average earnings between disabled and non-disabled employees
• The number of disabled employees in each pay bracket

Previous reports have found employers retain their disabled staff by having:

• values that prioritise improving an organisation’s performance on disability
• consistent internal policies that are relevant to disabled workers
• an inclusive workplace culture