AIBU to think employers aren’t going nearly far enough with adjustments and that ableist attitudes are still totally normalised?

[coffeeandmycats]

I’m honestly so fed up with how “reasonable adjustments” are treated like some kind of special favour or workplace charity. They’re not. They’re a legal duty under the Equality Act, and they exist because without them, disabled people are shut out of employment or slowly squeezed out once they’re in.
Every time someone says “we couldn’t adjust the role” or “it wouldn’t be fair on the team,” what they usually mean is “we didn’t want to deal with it.” And that’s what drives me mad how often laziness, bias or lack of imagination is brushed off as “just being realistic.” That’s not realism. That’s ableism.
Most jobs can be adjusted. If someone can’t do one task but can do everything else why is the answer to push them out, instead of reshuffling the tasks or offering alternatives? We do this all the time in other settings. You wouldn’t chuck a kid out of school because they struggle with stairs. But in work, suddenly job specs are sacred texts.
And now, with the government trying to push more disabled people back into work (often with threats of benefit sanctions), where is the structural support? Employers still get to decide whether something is “reasonable,” even when they’ve shown time and again that they don’t understand or don’t care. That’s not a system that’s a gamble.
We should be encouraging every disabled person denied adjustments to take their employer straight to tribunal. I don’t care if it’s uncomfortable the law needs to be enforced. But also, it shouldn’t have to get that far. There should be an independent ombudsman-style service that employers must subscribe to something that can assess adjustment requests fairly and quickly, without making the disabled person go to war to be heard.
And honestly? If a business can’t afford to make space for disabled people, whether that’s with flexibility, equipment, transport help or task reallocation, then maybe they shouldn’t be in business. If your model only works when everyone is 100% able-bodied, then your model is broken. Shut it down.
AIBU to think we’ve got this totally backwards? That we’re still treating inclusion like a bonus feature instead of a basic requirement? That people who need adjustments are somehow seen as the problem instead of the systems and attitudes around them?
I’m sure this will rub some people the wrong way. Maybe that’s the point.

Surely that's only possible if more budget and staff are available. If those two things aren't available then it's not reasonable

I'm sorry but you're deluded. Especially in current climate. Especially given Labour's planned employment bill.

Experienced HR/Legal will always find a a way to get rid. Always. No matter what.

And with examples you've given it be much better for the business to either go for settlement or pay tribunal cost (if lost, and it's a big if) to get rid of people like your uncle, who are obviously p..s taking.

Again, MN has mostly professional demographic with a lot of posters here being business owners or having reasonably senior roles, there are a lot of hiring managers and HR here. Imagine someone who only dealt with reasonable disabled people and went out of their way to accommodate, they now read your posts, learn that the likes of your uncles and that teacher exist and what grief they can cause.

What will these readers do? Only offer three months contract roles with one months notice, no explanation needs to be given if contract is not extended. Interview carefully to figure out if any possibility of disability.

You can't even imagine now what level of disservice you've just done.

Adjust your posts

they are too long

The £27,000 compensation in the tribunal case was one I mentioned. I think it’s worth reading the tribunal’s decision or at least checking out commentary about the case on a solicitors’ firm website with advice aimed at employers, which is how I discovered it last year. It is a good example of a claim that could have been avoided.

The full decision of the tribunal is available on the Gov website. www.gov.uk/employment-tribunal-decisions/mrs-r-davies-v-gloucestershire-health-and-care-nhs-foundation-trust-1404028-slash-2019

Bear in mind what the employer is and the resources available to it. Also bear in mind the £27k was only the cost of the breach of duty to make reasonable adjustments and for a period covering 1 year of the employee’s employment. The legal fees and time spent defending the claim are undoubtedly much higher.

How is he piss taking along for reasonable adjustments?

and the best of all is self diagnosed autism. Jackpot for PIP and all adjustments you might want incl WFH for customer facing roles

OP you mention legal firms would be good employers of disabled people as they understand the law. IME they are terrible employers. They understand the law so know exactly how to get away with making virtually no adjustments if they do not want to.

cleaned up after the cats 🤢

Some of your examples are not “reasonable adjustments” though really are they? You are suggesting paying people with a disability the same or even more to do less work than their colleagues, to the point of promoting them to higher pay brackets whether they are the most suitable candidate for the role or not.

Do what job in the kitchen?
Say you've already filled all the chef/kitchen porter roles. You can't move any of the kitchen staff because they all have contracted hours.

This person can’t do the job. That puts their colleagues in danger, plus at mental stress due to lack of leave and short notice shifts, and it puts the public in danger too. Seriously.

Adjustments are key to supporting all disabled people in work. They shouldn’t however negatively impact others to do more than they are contracted to do. Nor should they affect others the opportunity for promotion. You noted OP that if adjustments meant pay rises or promotions then that’s acceptable. It is but only if that role is best suited to the disabled person and another more suited employee isn’t pushed out.

Well yeah someone has to

Actually no legally there has been case law where judges have upheld promoting a disabled employee into a higher paid position even if they aren't the suitable employee

Yes and there is strong case law and employment tribunal decisions to support it.

If every time a disabled person was refused an adjustment at work they rang acas and started the employment tribunal process employers would back down fast.

I'm big on inclusivity and support all my friends and family to go to tribunals actively. The world should be a more inclusive place

I'm sure it is carefully managed so no one is in danger

Would you not rather your disabled colleague got a promotion over you due to not being able to do his current job due to a disability as opposed to him losing his job completely? I would!

We only really serve biscuits and coffees maybe the odd sandwich so they can help out clean etc. lots of ways we can make do

Yes and the law allows for this. A diagnosis is NOT needed to get the adjustments fortunately.

Most of my family have self diagnosed autism hd ADHD and we regularly use the employment tribunal service

What happens when there is no actual role. You’re assuming everyone is employed in large businesses. They aren’t. We don’t have multiple jobs available that people can just switch around. People require professional qualifications for their niche role.

We couldn’t do that. More qualified employees are required to take on board the higher roles or our clients lose millions because people wouldnt be experienced enough for the role. Not only that but a mistake at a higher level can cost hundreds of lives in our Industry. We have a responsibility as Professionals to employ only those who are qualified and experienced enough

That’s not the point. Reasonable adjustments do not equal treating others unjustly.

Agree. There seems to be a theme that businesses have very deep pockets . Most simply don’t and if a reasonable adjustment means a reduced workload who does that work. Another would need employing which means another wage, another work station, more office space, more equipment, and NI payment. Not every business can afford that. The margins just aren’t there. The result is that employers will avoid disabled people at all costs because these days there are plenty of CVs dropping through the Mail. This thread OP isn’t doing disabled people any good

This thread is going to make any employers reading think twice about employing anyone with a disability.

Some of the suggested adjustments listed on this thread are ridiculous, and hi-light exactly why so many disabled people struggle to get past prejudice.

I’m autistic (but I work full-time - self employed), my DC are autistic, my DP has a neurological disability that led him to collapse, and my DM has cerebral palsy. My entire life has been supporting others with disabilities in addition to trying to manage my own neurodivergence. I understand disability, it’s my whole world - but this thread is just embarrassing.