My employer has made reasonable adjustments for me but won't formally acknowledge my health conditions as a disability. Why could this be?

[Chefpig]

They've actually been really supportive with the reasonable adjustments and agreed to all I requested.

My health conditions have been going on for 15+ years and significantly impact on my day to day life. One of my requests was for work to formally note my health conditions as disabilities. They got back to me saying they'll make sure they're listed on HR file as health conditions, but not as disabilities. What is going on here? Are they scared of any potential discrimination cases if the word 'disability' is used? It's odd as they've been so supportive of my health, making reasonable adjustments and regularly checking in with how I'm doing. I can't fathom their thinking.

https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

might be helpful to you

Are they officially disabilities?

Are your health conditions actual disabilities? I’m not an expert but I didn’t think it was the employers who got to define what a disability is?

Yes, I class myself as having disabilities.

So if they’ve made the adjustment you want under the health conditions they are.. why do you want them recorded as disability?

I wouldn’t think that it would impact on any of your rights under the law either way? If you felt discriminated against because of your disability for example you would have a right to follow the relevant company policy, try to enforce/sue under the relevant legislation whatever they write in your HR file.

I’m guessing you have some paper trail about the adjustments so they couldn’t claim not to be aware of your condition and they have said they have noted your condition so again proving that they are aware. If there is no paper trail you could send an email to HR/your manager “just to confirm that you are aware of my health condition of x and that you have recorded this in my file” keep a copy of your email and any reply.

What would change if they listed your health conditions as a disability? Are they making the adjustments you need?

It really isn't up to your employer to decide whether you have a disability or not. Your Occ Health Report should detail how you need support. If those conditions have or are likely to last for 12 months or more, you fall.under the protection of the Equality Act 2010. It seems that your employer recognises that

It doesn't matter one way or another. If your health conditions amount to disabilities under the Equalities Act, then you have the protection as long as your employer was made aware of them. It doesn't matter if they record them as health conditions or disabilities.

They might only have a "Health conditions" section to log them in. If they have made the reasonable adjustments I dont see what the problem is. They will know how the law works in this area.

To vague and lacking details to comment constructively

Does your employer normally have a policy of recording certain health conditions as disabilities, or are you asking them to record something over and above their normal employee records? Perhaps their reluctance is because you are asking them to collect and store data they would not normally hold.

As others have said, your rights aren't dependent on any declaration of disability on their part. And all good organisations are conscious of the need to avoid storing superfluous personal data. They can only store data that is actually needed, and which accords with their stated policies around data collection

If they are being supportive, what practical difference would it make if your conditions were recorded differently?

Out workplace HR system records health conditions but, as far as I can recall without checking, does not refer to them as disabilities. This may be because it doesn’t matter in terms of how you are protected in law.