Reasonable adjustments policy template for UK employers
Ryan Hoare · Founder, TryMosaic · Last reviewed
This guide is part of our complete guide to managing reasonable adjustments.
How to use this template
Copy the sections below into your own policy document and replace the bracketed placeholders. Where a sentence commits you to a timescale, treat it as a floor you are confident you can meet on a bad week, not an aspiration. A policy that promises five days and delivers twenty is worse than one that promises ten and delivers ten.
1. Purpose and scope
[Organisation name] is committed to making reasonable adjustments so that disabled employees, and employees with health conditions that affect their work, are not placed at a substantial disadvantage. This policy applies to all employees, workers and job applicants, and covers adjustments to premises, equipment, working arrangements and how work is done. It reflects our duty under the Equality Act 2010, section 20.
2. Who can request an adjustment
Anyone may request an adjustment at any stage: during recruitment, on starting a role, or at any point afterwards. Employees do not need a diagnosis to start the conversation, and do not need to use the word disability. A request made verbally counts; the person receiving it is responsible for making sure it enters the process below.
3. How to request an adjustment
- Employees may raise a request with their line manager, with HR, or through [system or form name].
- The request should describe the difficulty being experienced and, where the employee has one in mind, the adjustment they believe would help.
- Employees may be accompanied at any meeting about their request by a colleague or trade union representative.
4. How decisions are made
- The line manager, with support from HR, will discuss the request with the employee within [X] working days of receiving it.
- Where helpful, and with the employee's agreement, we may seek advice from occupational health or Access to Work.
- A decision will be given within [X] working days of the discussion, in writing, with reasons.
- If a requested adjustment is not agreed, we will explain why and explore alternatives with the employee before closing the request.
5. Recording and confidentiality
- Every request, decision, reason and review will be recorded in [system name] at the time it happens.
- Records are visible only to the employee, the managers they have shared them with, and the HR staff handling the case.
- Health information is special category data under UK GDPR and is handled in line with our data protection policy, including retention limits.
6. Implementation and review
- Each agreed adjustment has a named owner responsible for putting it in place by an agreed date.
- Each adjustment is given a review date when it is agreed, and reviewed sooner if the employee's role, team or manager changes.
- Reviews check the adjustment is in place, still effective, and still wanted.
7. If the employee disagrees with a decision
An employee who believes their request was wrongly refused, or that an agreed adjustment has not been implemented, should first raise it with [role]. If it is not resolved, the grievance procedure applies. Nothing in this policy removes an employee's rights under the Equality Act 2010.
8. Responsibilities
- Line managers: respond to requests within the timescales above, own implementation, and complete reviews.
- HR: support managers, monitor anonymised patterns across the organisation, and keep this policy current.
- All staff: treat colleagues' adjustments and any health information they become aware of as confidential.
This template is general guidance, not legal advice. Have your adapted policy reviewed by an employment law specialist before adoption.
If you are evaluating vendors, book a short TryMosaic demo and put the questions above to us first.
References
Related guidance
Frequently asked questions
What should a reasonable adjustments policy include?
How requests are made, who decides and how quickly, how decisions and reasons are recorded, who can see the records, how implementation is owned, when adjustments are reviewed, and what an employee can do if they disagree. Timescales and record-keeping commitments are the parts that make it real.
Is an employer legally required to have a written policy?
No. The Equality Act 2010 imposes the duty to make reasonable adjustments, not the duty to have a policy document. A written policy matters because it makes the process consistent, and because following your own published process is strong evidence of good faith if a decision is challenged.
What timescales should we commit to?
Choose numbers you can meet reliably, then write them down. Many organisations commit to acknowledging a request within a few working days and giving a written decision within ten to fifteen. A missed published deadline reads badly in a dispute, so set floors, not aspirations.
Should the policy require a diagnosis before adjustments are considered?
No. The legal duty can arise without a formal diagnosis, and requiring one before engaging delays support and discourages disclosure. The policy should let anyone describe a difficulty and start the process, with medical advice sought later only where genuinely needed.
How often should the policy itself be reviewed?
Give the policy an owner and a review date, typically annually. Check the timescales are being met in practice, that the recording system named in it is the one actually in use, and that anonymised patterns from requests are feeding back into how the organisation works.
Published · Last updated · This guide will next be reviewed by .
TryMosaic is the system of record for workplace adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.