Reasonable adjustments advice
Impartial occupational health advice on practical changes at work that could help someone with a health condition or disability do their job.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- It is impartial advice on practical workplace changes that could help you do your job with a health condition or disability.
- Employers have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments where a disabled person is at a substantial disadvantage.
- Occupational health advises, but the employer decides what is reasonable; this advice is not a diagnosis, treatment or legal advice.
- Your medical details stay confidential; normally only the functional effects and suggested adjustments are shared, with your consent.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your specialist will give you advice for your situation.
Turns how your condition affects you into practical, workable suggestions.
Your main need is treatment for a health condition, which your GP or specialist should provide.
You discuss your role, your health and what would help. You agree what can be shared and what stays confidential.
A clear, written report linking suggested adjustments to specific difficulties.
You discuss your role, your health and what would help. You agree what can be shared and what stays confidential.
The adviser writes a report setting out the functional effects and suggested adjustments. You can usually see it...
With your consent, the relevant information and suggestions are shared with your manager or HR, without your...
You and your employer discuss the suggestions and agree which adjustments are reasonable to make.
What is reasonable adjustments advice?
Reasonable adjustments advice is impartial occupational health guidance on practical changes at work that could help someone with a health condition or disability do their job. It translates how a condition affects you into specific, workable suggestions your employer can consider.
Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments where a disabled person is at a substantial disadvantage compared with others. A disability here means a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term effect on everyday activities. Adjustments aim to remove or reduce that disadvantage.
Occupational health is impartial. The adviser is not on either side; they look at what is realistic and helpful, explain how your health affects specific tasks, and suggest adjustments. They do not decide what is 'reasonable' in legal terms; the employer makes that decision, weighing factors such as cost, practicality and effect on the workplace.
The advice is not a diagnosis or treatment, and it is not legal advice. Your medical details stay confidential; normally only the functional effects and suggested adjustments are shared, and usually only with your consent.
Types, options & approaches
There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.
Reasonable adjustments advice vs fitness-for-work assessment
| Aspect | Reasonable adjustments advice | General fitness-for-work assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Specific changes to remove disadvantage | Whether and how you can work now |
| Legal context | Equality Act duty on employers | General health and safety and HR |
| Who decides | Employer decides what is reasonable | Employer, advised by occupational health |
| Output | Suggested adjustments report | Fitness opinion and recommendations |
The two often overlap; adjustments advice focuses on the Equality Act duty and practical changes.
Preparing for your appointment
- Think about which specific tasks or situations your health makes difficult, with examples.
- Note any adjustments that have helped before, or that you think might help now.
- List your current treatment and medicines, and any specialists involved.
- Consider your working pattern: hours, breaks, travel, deadlines and physical demands.
- If your employer has referred you, ask to see the questions they have asked.
- Be clear about what you are happy to share and what you want kept confidential.
- Have details of any equipment or support you already use.
What happens
The appointment is a supportive, structured conversation, in person, by video or by phone. The adviser asks about your role, your tasks, and how your health condition or disability affects your ability to do them.
The focus is on function: not your diagnosis in detail, but what you find harder and why, and what would help. The adviser explains what is confidential and what, with your consent, will go into the report.
They then suggest practical adjustments tailored to your situation, such as changes to duties, hours, equipment, environment, support or how policies apply. They explain how each suggestion links to the disadvantage it is meant to address.
Afterwards, you usually get a written report setting out the functional effects and the suggested adjustments. Medical detail is kept confidential; normally only the relevant information and recommendations are shared with your employer, and you can usually see the report first and correct factual errors. Your employer then considers what is reasonable and discusses it with you.
Is this appointment right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- Your main need is treatment for a health condition, which your GP or specialist should provide.
- You need legal advice on discrimination or a dispute, which a solicitor, union or Acas should give.
- You are in a mental-health crisis or unsafe, when urgent care comes first.
- The issue is a workplace grievance or conflict unrelated to health, which needs HR or a formal process.
Delay or rearrange if…
- You are acutely unwell or in crisis and cannot engage with the appointment.
- You have not seen the questions behind an employer referral and want to first.
- You are unclear about confidentiality and consent and want to understand them before attending.
- A change in your treatment or role is imminent that would make the advice more accurate shortly.
Alternatives to discuss
- A fitness-for-work or mental health at work assessment for a broader picture.
- A DSE or ergonomic assessment where the need is equipment and setup.
- Advice from your union, Acas or a solicitor on your legal rights.
- Treatment and support from your GP or specialist for the condition itself.
- Access to Work or similar schemes that can fund certain support and equipment.
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Benefits
- Turns how your condition affects you into practical, workable suggestions.
- Helps your employer meet their Equality Act duty with informed, impartial advice.
- Supports you to stay in, or return to, work with the right changes in place.
- Keeps your medical details confidential while sharing only what is needed.
- Can open up a constructive conversation between you and your employer about what helps.
Risks & complications
- Suggested adjustments are advice, not orders, so an employer may not put all of them in place.
- Talking about how your health affects work can feel difficult or exposing.
- Some adjustments may take time to arrange.
- The advice is not legal advice on whether a refusal is lawful.
- Disagreement about what is reasonable or about how the report should be used.
- Adjustments that do not fully solve the problem and need revisiting.
- Concern about confidentiality if it was not clearly explained.
- Medical information being shared more widely than necessary if consent and confidentiality are mishandled.
- The process feeling like a barrier rather than support if poorly handled.
Be clear about confidentiality and consent: ask exactly what will be shared with your employer and what stays private. Remember the adviser is impartial and only suggests adjustments; your employer decides what is reasonable, weighing cost, practicality and effect on the workplace. This is not legal advice, so if you think a refusal is unfair or unlawful, get advice from your union, Acas or a solicitor.
Published figures to discuss
There are no procedure complication rates for this advice, as it is a consultation, not a procedure. How well adjustments work depends on the workplace, what the employer agrees to, and your individual condition. National outcome figures are not meaningful to quote here.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical harm from the consultation | None expected | The consultation is advisory; risk comes from poor workplace implementation rather than from the appointment itself. | GOV.UK — Reasonable adjustments for disabled workersgov.ukSource-linked context |
| Adjustment advice too generic to help | Common practical failure | Good advice links the worker's functional limitation to specific duties, barriers, trial changes and review dates. | GOV.UK — Reasonable adjustments for disabled workersgov.ukSource-linked context |
| Condition worsens because work barriers remain | Depends on workplace response | Adjustments are only protective if the employer acts on them and checks whether they work in practice. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Medical confidentiality breach | Avoidable with explicit consent | Reports should usually describe functional impact and adjustments, not disclose diagnoses unless the worker agrees. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
What happens afterwards
There is no physical recovery. 'Afterwards' is about the report, the discussion with your employer, and putting agreed adjustments in place.
- A period of discussion before adjustments are agreed and put in place.
- Some adjustments needing fine-tuning once they are tried.
- A gradual rather than instant improvement in how manageable work feels.
- Needing to revisit the advice if your condition or role changes.
Aftercare
- Read any report you are shown and check it is factually accurate.
- Discuss the suggested adjustments with your manager or HR and agree what will happen.
- Keep a record of what is agreed and when it will be reviewed.
- Try the agreed adjustments and note what helps and what does not.
- Tell occupational health or your manager if adjustments are not working or your needs change.
- Keep up any treatment your GP or specialist recommends.
- If you feel a refusal is unfair, get advice from your union, Acas or a solicitor.
- Examples of tasks your health makes difficult
- List of adjustments that might help, including any that have worked before
- The employer's referral questions, if applicable
- Current treatment and medicines listed
- A clear idea of what you will and won't consent to share
- A note of who to contact about implementing adjustments
- A review date agreed for the adjustments
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- Your health worsening to the point you cannot safely do your work — speak to occupational health and your GP.
- Thoughts of harming yourself, if your situation is affecting your mental health — if you are in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E anywhere in the UK. For urgent mental-health support, call 111 and choose the mental-health option where it is offered in England, Scotland or Wales; in Northern Ireland, call Lifeline free on 0808 808 8000 or contact your GP out-of-hours service. You can also call the Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time, anywhere in the UK.
- Being treated unfairly or feeling discriminated against because of your condition — get advice from your union, Acas or a solicitor.
- Agreed adjustments not being made, leaving you struggling — raise it with HR and seek advice.
- A sudden change in your symptoms or abilities — seek medical advice and a review of your adjustments.
Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
A good outcome is a clear, practical set of suggested adjustments, linked to the specific difficulties you face, that your employer can consider and discuss with you. It should help you do your job while keeping your private medical detail confidential.
The advice cannot make your employer act, and it cannot judge what is legally reasonable; those are the employer's decisions, and disputes are a legal matter. It also does not diagnose or treat your condition, so it works best alongside your own clinical care.
Adjustments that work should keep helping, but they reflect your situation at the time. As your health, your role or your tasks change, the advice may need updating. Many people benefit from a review to check that adjustments are still right, especially after a change in condition or job.
Related tests, treatments or support
Reasonable adjustments advice often sits alongside a fitness-for-work or mental health at work assessment, a DSE or ergonomic assessment for equipment and setup, and treatment from your GP or specialist. Together these address both the work and the health side.
Follow-up & long-term care
Follow-up usually means reviewing whether agreed adjustments are working and adjusting them if needed. Your clinical care continues separately with your GP or specialist. If your needs change, a further occupational health appointment can refresh the advice.
- Keep using the adjustments that help, and flag any that stop working.
- Attend any review appointments offered.
- Tell your employer and occupational health if your health or role changes.
- Keep up treatment and follow-up from your own clinicians.
- Keep a record of agreed adjustments and review dates.
Repeat, follow-on and what comes next
- Adjustments are often reviewed and refined once tried.
- Advice may need updating as your health or role changes.
- If adjustments do not help, a reassessment can suggest alternatives.
- Some suggested adjustments may not be agreed, so others may need to be found.
Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.
What good aftercare looks like
- A clear, written report linking suggested adjustments to specific difficulties.
- A named occupational health contact for questions and review.
- An agreed review date to check whether adjustments are working.
- Signposting to legal or union advice if there is a dispute.
- Joined-up working with your manager and your GP or specialist, with your consent.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- The length of the appointment and how complex your situation is.
- Whether it is carried out in person or remotely.
- How detailed the report needs to be and how many specific tasks are addressed.
- Whether follow-up or review appointments are included.
- Who is arranging and paying, usually the employer rather than you.
- Who provides the advice and that they are an impartial occupational health professional.
- What the appointment includes and that a written report is provided.
- Exactly what will be shared with the employer and what stays confidential.
- Whether you can see the report first and how to correct factual errors.
- Whether follow-up or review appointments are included.
- What the advice does and does not cover, including that it is not legal advice.
On the NHS? Reasonable adjustments advice is usually arranged through your employer's occupational health service; the legal duty to make adjustments sits with the employer, and the NHS supports treatment for your condition separately.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- Not being told the advice is impartial and that the employer decides what is reasonable.
- Not being clear about what is shared and what stays confidential.
- Not being offered the chance to see the report before it is sent.
- Mistaking occupational health advice for legal advice on discrimination.
- Assuming all suggested adjustments will automatically be made.
Marketing red flags
- Promises that adjustments are 'guaranteed' to be granted by an employer.
- Services that present themselves as both impartial occupational health and your legal representative.
- No mention of confidentiality, consent or the employer's decision-making role.
- Advice that ignores the underlying health condition and its treatment.
Choosing a specialist safely
- Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
- You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.
- Which adjustments do you suggest for the specific tasks I find difficult?
- What exactly will be shared with my employer, and what stays confidential?
- Can I see the report before it is sent, and how do I correct any errors?
- How should the adjustments be reviewed, and how often?
- What can I do if my employer does not put the adjustments in place?
- Could my condition count as a disability under the Equality Act, and what does that mean here?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the specialist who carries out my appointment, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this appointment not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
What is a reasonable adjustment?
Does my employer have to do what occupational health suggests?
Will my employer see my diagnosis?
Do I have to be 'disabled' to get adjustments?
Can I see the report before my employer does?
What if my employer refuses reasonable adjustments?
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How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: Acas — Reasonable adjustments at work GOV.UK — Reasonable adjustments for disabled workers Equality Act 2010 (legislation) Acas — Getting a doctor's report about a worker's health Mind — Reasonable adjustments for mental health at work Society of Occupational Medicine nidirect — urgent and emergency care (Northern Ireland) nidirect — GP out-of-hours service (Northern Ireland) NHS England — NHS 111 mental-health crisis support NHS inform Scotland — urgent mental-health help NHS 111 Wales — mental health and wellbeing nidirect — mental-health emergency and Lifeline (Northern Ireland)
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
Related guides: Mental health at work assessment · Work-related stress assessment · Workstation / ergonomic assessment · Management referral assessment · Medico-legal and occupational health reports