TUC Report Highlights Major Barriers to Reasonable Adjustments for Disabled Workers

This week, the TUC published a report examining disabled workers’ access to reasonable adjustments, releasing the findings from a survey of 1,000 disabled workers across the UK.

Their research shows that the two leading concerns facing disabled workers are failing to receive the reasonable adjustments they need (34%); and disability related leave being counted as sick leave (also 34%).

Alarmingly, their report found that over half (55%) of disabled workers who submitted a request had either received merely some of the adjustments they needed, or none at all. Despite having a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to provide reasonable adjustments, the report indicates that this duty is infrequently met fully – despite the potential for legal challenge through employment tribunals.

Other findings included:

• Over a third (34%) of disabled workers polled were uncomfortable talking about their health, including disability, impairment, or long-term health condition with their manager or supervisor.
• One in five (20%) disabled workers told us that they hadn’t told their employer they were disabled, with almost six in ten (56%) saying that it was because they were worried about negative repercussions, and a third (34%) saying they were worried their employer would think they could not do their job.
• One in five disabled workers were dissatisfied with the support they received from their manager or supervisor (22%)
• A quarter of disabled workers we spoke to told us they were dissatisfied with their opportunities for progression (25%)

Alongside access to reasonable adjustments, over 1/3^rd of respondents indicated disability related leave being counted as sick leave as the biggest issue facing disabled workers. The report also found that workers who were on non-permanent contracts and/or received less than statutory sick pay were far less likely to tell their employer they are disabled.

The report features a number of recommendations targeted at both Government and employers, including the introduction of mandatory disability employment and pay gap reporting, a requirement on employers to respond to requests within two weeks of an application, and full incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons (UNCRPD) into UK Law.

You can read the full report here.