To feel like some reasonable adjustments are actually unreasonable

[Tiredjusttired]

Fully prepared to get flamed here, but please hear me out.

The small team I work in has an increasingly large proportion of people receiving workplace adjustments for disabilities such as ADHD, stomach issues, MS, depression, heart problems. The adjustments typically involve less workload, more time to complete tasks, less responsibility, less travel, priority for desk based tasks (while being paid the same as those with full responsibility and workload obligations).

My problem is that it means there is no capacity for the rest of us to catch a breath, undertake shadowing for professional development, or do general CPD, since the overall team workload has remained the same. I keep telling myself it is right my employer makes these adjustments, but it just feels so unfair. I’ve had to work so much of today to keep up with the workload. The ones without reasonable adjustments have to pick up the slack.

Does anyone else feel similarly? I guess I can take comfort in the fact my employer will hear me out when or if I have health issues myself, although the policy for menopause/pregnancy is very frugal. Currently, it seems a bit two-tier .

This is a resource versus workload issue. Can you raise it with your line manager?

Those who need reasonable adjustments should have them. However, your employer should ensure that your workload does not increase as a result. If it does then the adjustments are not really “reasonable “. You need to bring this up with your employer.

If its a case of we have x widgets to make today you should be able to do your bit and push back on picking up the slack for others - they need to hire more people.

But YANBU, where I work its no longer reasonable, eg someone who simply cannot get in on time for a 10am client meeting due to ocd is told its fine rather than supported in figuring out how to mitigate, like leaving home earlier.

You need to talk to your manager about your workload, and also your CPD. Make it clear you are working overtime and are getting stressed trying to keep up with the workload. Don’t bring others into it, focus on yourself and ask what can be done to help you.

The issue isn't "too many adjustments" the issue is the boss not hiring an extra person or ensuring workload is shared properly etc.

😩so now your workload needs some reasonable adjustments to compensate for others reasonable adjustments. How did society used to manage...

Absolutely this
Also why are you "picking up the slack"
Who has told you to do this and why haven't you challenged it ?

The adjustments only have to be made if it's "reasonable to do so" otherwise they aren't reasonable adjustments

(And I say that as a disabled person!)

I'm freelance and a couple of my client companies are doing this

So I'm hearing from people on the permanent staff that they have got to help people quite extensively. So for example, they will have someone who regularly needs the contents of committee meetings explained to them and to have someone go through all the action points with them afterwards.

That's really time-consuming for people who are already being pushed too hard. It only works if they're prepared to increase staff numbers, basically.

Even our disability network lead at work, who also has disabilities, says that reasonable adjustments aren't an excuse for substandard delivery.
Everyone suddenly needs to wfh due to medical conditions and won't consider any other measures in between.

I do think focusing on what is happening for your colleagues and adjustments for them is the wrong route.

You need to go to your manager about your own work conditions with evidence about why you’re struggling more and what has happened to your workload. I wonder if a part of your self identity is ‘coper’ and you are separating yourself from ‘people who need to ask their managers for help’. But just like people with a diagnosis, currently your managers are asking for more than you are reasonably able to do. So you need to talk to them about it.

There's some good advice here. If the adjustment is impacting the workload of others then it's by definition not reasonable

the government scheme Access to Work can help fund additional resource to cover these reasonable adjustments but it seems to be the governments best kept secret as it is not widely advertised. we have had staff with Personal Assistants and Taxi's funded from this post of money.

Welcome to Britain 2025 where everyone has a GP issued script saying how they can't work in some way shape or form.

your employer is at fault for not employing enough people.

it’s not the fault of those with disabilities or medical conditions.

your are blaming the wrong people.

interestingly you are also able to access this fund if you are self employed, as I have just been assessed and will have some computer software to help me, and a new desk, as currently working in a very unsuitable place. It takes quite an age to get to you, but once they do the process is pretty speedy.

Why do posters say “employ more people”? Do all employers have a bottomless pit of money to hire extra staff? If you were in the position to hire a cleaner, would you expect to pay for two cleaners because the first one couldn’t manage? I think not.

I have incurable cancer and disabled because of it and Im on chemo for life. I am.expected to have a full workload the 2 days Im in work. My reasonable adjustments are I can work on the ground floor, Im not expected to walk across the site for multiple meetings and I can tale a few minutes mini breaks.
Thats it.

Agreed. What you also can't do is ask one cleaner to do the work of one and a half cleaners while the other cleaner does half a job

There is someone I work with who I honestly think just lacks resilience. She has adaptations in place that mean everyone else gets more than their fair share of things. She can only travel for one hour (the job involves travel and sometimes over night stays) so that she can stay at home. She can’t do any more on site days than 2 so other team members get more than their fair share of 3 day events which takes us away from home for longer. She is allowed to use AI for some tasks (we are not) as it is quicker and means she doesn’t have to sit down for as long. She was off for 12 weeks with stress and these were all put in for her.

It isn’t as simple as “hiring more people”. That pushes up costs to the end user - will the end user accept it? If not, the the economics fail as does the business.

If someone needs reasonable adjustments, fine, but they still have to produce the same/do the same amount of work, if they want the same pay.

It is not a reasonable adjustment to allow someone to work less for the same pay; it is reasonable to allow them more time to do the work, or pay them less if they want to produce less .

I totally see your point

However, in the case of the two clients I mentioned, they are very much in the black. They absolutely could afford to employ someone else.

One of the new hires actually has so many reasonable adjustments, I'm not convinced he can do the job, that's a whole other issue in itself.

@Tiredjusttired I agree with @PermanentTemporary that you should focus on what's happened to your workload. It's become unmanageable.

What I've noticed in the two cases that I mentioned is that they were simply told they had to add it to their job.

Being honest, I was particularly interested in this because in both cases I wonder if I could pick up with those clients by supporting those people in their roles. And it seems much fairer because I then get paid for it!

in general, I'm not sure that managers understand reasonable adjustments. Telling somebody else that they have to add to their workload by helping out is not a reasonable adjustment.

Nah, if you have people underperforming, you shouldn't have to employ an additional person.

Get rid of the dead wood!

Similar, my adjustments are - wheelchair accessible building (well, that was already in place to be fair), and an ability to work from home as needed (but my job can be fully done from home, this doesn't impact on others). I am still expected to do full time output, if I couldn't work full time I would work and be paid for part time