Reasonable Adjustments for Mental Health at Work: A Practical Guide
When an employee’s mental health affects their work, reasonable adjustments can make a significant difference.
The challenge for many employers is knowing what adjustments are appropriate and how to apply them in practice.
What Reasonable Adjustments Mean
Reasonable adjustments are changes made to support an employee in carrying out their role.
They are not fixed solutions. They should reflect:
The individual’s needs
The demands of the role
What is practical within the workplace
The focus is always on enabling the employee to work effectively.
Common Types of Adjustments
Adjustments should be practical and linked to work.
In many cases, they fall into a few key areas.
Workload and Expectations
Reducing workload temporarily or adjusting deadlines can help where capacity is affected.
Working Hours
Flexible start and finish times or reduced hours may support employees managing fatigue or anxiety.
Work Environment
Changes to the working environment, such as reducing exposure to stressful situations, can be effective.
Communication and Support
Regular check-ins and clear expectations help reduce uncertainty and improve consistency.
Tailoring Adjustments to the Role
Effective adjustments are specific.
A generic approach is less effective than one based on the employee’s role and current capacity.
For example, adjusting deadlines may be appropriate in one role, while redistributing tasks may be more effective in another.
The key is to focus on:
What is difficult
What can be changed
What will have the most impact
Reviewing Adjustments
Adjustments should not be static.
They should be reviewed regularly to ensure they remain appropriate.
In some cases, adjustments can be reduced over time as capacity improves. In others, longer-term changes may be needed.
When Adjustments Are Unclear
When it is not clear what adjustments will help, the focus should shift to understanding the gap between the employee’s current capacity and the specific demands of their role. Rather than guessing solutions, it is more effective to explore what tasks are most affected and why. For example, if concentration is inconsistent, it may not be obvious whether reducing workload, introducing quieter working periods, or breaking tasks into smaller steps will be most effective. If anxiety is linked to meetings, possible adjustments could include reducing the number of meetings, providing agendas in advance, or allowing written input instead of verbal participation. Where fatigue is the issue, options might include flexible start times, shorter working days, or spacing out demanding tasks. In these situations, adjustments often need to be tested and refined over time, using regular check-ins to assess what is actually improving consistency and what is not.
The Outcome
Reasonable adjustments allow employees to remain in work and perform more consistently.
For employers, they provide a practical way to manage situations where health is affecting performance.
When applied clearly and reviewed regularly, adjustments support both the individual and the organisation.