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Part of Get ready to employ someone for the first time: step by step

Reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities or health conditions

Employers must make reasonable adjustments to make sure workers with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, are not substantially disadvantaged when doing their jobs.

This applies to all workers, including trainees, apprentices, contract workers and business partners.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Reasonable adjustments include:

  • changing the recruitment process so a candidate can be considered for a job
  • doing things another way, such as allowing someone with social anxiety disorder to have their own desk instead of hot-desking
  • making physical changes to the workplace, like installing a ramp for a wheelchair user or an audio-visual fire alarm for a deaf person
  • letting a disabled person work somewhere else, such as on the ground floor for a wheelchair user
  • changing their equipment, for instance providing a special keyboard if they have arthritis
  • allowing employees who become disabled to make a phased return to work, including flexible hours or part-time working
  • offering employees training opportunities, recreation and refreshment facilities

Get help and advice

You can get advice on reasonable adjustments from the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local Jobcentre Plus office.

You can apply for Access to Work if you need extra help.

If you’re in Northern Ireland, find out about employment for people with disabilities or contact Access to Work (NI).

There’s more detail about employers’ obligations and how to meet them on the Equality and Human Rights Commission website.

This page is Part of Get ready to employ someone for the first time: step by step

  1. Step 1 Check that you’re taking on someone as an employee

    Follow these steps if you want to take on someone with the employment status of ‘employee’ for the first time.

    1. Check who counts as an employee

    The rules are different if you want to take on someone with another type of employment status, such as agency staff, freelancers, consultants and contractors.

    1. Check your responsibilities when you take on someone with a different employment status and contract type

  2. and Check you can afford to take on employees

    1. Check how much the National Minimum Wage is
    2. Find out how much National Insurance you need to pay for your employees
    3. Check how much sick pay your employees are eligible for
    4. Check how much you need to pay towards your employee's pension
    5. Check how much Maternity Leave you need to pay your employees
    6. Check how much Paternity Leave you need to pay your employees

  3. Step 2 Make your workplace safe and accessible for employees

    1. Prevent discrimination
    2. You are currently viewing: Make your workplace accessible for employees with disabilities or health conditions
    3. Keep employee information and data safe
    4. Find out about fire safety
    5. Find out about health and safety on the Health and Safety Executive website

  4. Step 3 Register as an employer and set up PAYE

    You need to register with HMRC so you can pay tax and national insurance for your employees.

    1. Register as an employer and set up PAYE
    2. Choose how to run payroll
    3. If you decide to run payroll yourself, choose payroll software

  5. Step 4 Check your responsibilities around workplace pensions

    1. Understand your pension responsibilities as an employer

  6. Step 5 Get Employers' Liability insurance

    1. Find out about Employers' Liability insurance

  7. Step 6 Recruit and employ someone

    1. Employ someone