The Equality Act 2010 says :
The duty to make reasonable adjustments aims to make sure that, as far as is reasonable, a disabled worker has the same access to everything that is involved in doing and keeping a job as a non-disabled person.
Adjustments can be anything from moving your desk closer to the toilets to letting you start work later.
The adjustments are proportional to individual need and whatis reasonable for the employer to carry out.
Information from MS Matters magazine. Andy
Quantifying what is ‘reasonable’ is difficult as it is about enabling yo to do your job, and this will be determined to some extent about how a disability impacts on that, which is why you need someone to come and assess the situation. The DWP have a provision called access to work, you have to contact them. In my case I teach and course lead, so the adjustments that have been made in my case are: flexible working to allow me to get in before the traffic builds up, a half day after the night that I change medication , the possibility of working from home on non-teaching days, an ergonomic chair, monitor, light weight laptop, staff coming to me from a part of the building I can’t access, a trolley to move work aound in, amongst other things. My contract says that if I can’t do my job beyond reasonable adjustements my employer has fullfilled their obligation and now it comes down to a matter of compentency. At this point they can say that I am no longer able to do my job and let me go. That said if there is another job I can do which is being advertised I can apply for that but they don’t have to create an alternative job just to accomodate me. I hope that helps. Lou x
Interesting. Thanks both.
What is reasonable ?
To a small company, with only a few workers on role. A reasonable meassure could be the last thing they need.
Employers will sometimes say it is not cost effective, especially when they are able to show that their profit margin is low, and so get away with making arrangements for disabled people. That is where Access to work comes in.
The problem is how can you accomodate a plumber/bricklayer/roofer - give them a office job ? from home?
OH> This is only me chatting about things - not really happening to me - just fed up with watching football and wales loss the rugby. Andy