Workplace adjustments for managers

An adjustment is a support or a change to a role’s design, the way a person or team works, or a facility where a person works. These adjustments can help someone fully participate in an aspect of employment, perform better in their role, or meet one or more of the genuine occupational requirements (parts of the role considered essential).

Examples of workplace adjustments include, but are not limited to:

• a specific chair
• larger monitors and keyboards
• sit to stand desk
• flexible ways of working
• additional or frequent breaks.

Adjustments can be requested by any employee or prospective employee. They generally support people who are neurodivergent, have a disability or a physical or mental health condition, or are a carer, assistant or associate for someone who does. Whilst adjustments can be requested by anyone, there are different legislative frameworks that govern making adjustments in the workplace. More information relating to employer obligations upon receipt of a request can be found under legislative requirements and conditions.

Getting the basics right and using a consistent approach across the Queensland public sector is critical to ensure:

• as far as practicable, adjustments are portable and adaptable alongside the employee and their career
• every sector workplace meets its obligations under law and controls risk
• managers and colleagues understand, embrace and normalise the use of adjustments
• employees are aware of their rights to request workplace adjustments under anti-discrimination legislation
• our work environments enable everyone to perform, thrive and belong.

Managers and leaders are key to success, when they:

• openly and frequently encourage all employees and job candidates to consider if they may benefit from an adjustment at work or in a recruitment process—this avoids assumptions about people’s needs, disability or circumstances
• as far as practicable, welcome existing adjustment plans and consider if they may be portable, replicable or needed in the new context (doing so can directly boost sector-wide career mobility)
• keep up routine conversations about any adjustments an employee needs to do their job well and thrive
• avoid discrimination by not making assumptions about someone’s ability based on them raising a query, request or concern and instead, taking a person-centred approach and respecting the person’s knowledge on their own needs
• seek assistance from other sources as needed (ensuring the employee’s consent is obtained where required). For example an advisor from the workplace inclusion and diversity team, a JobAccess advisor, the IT team, a HR or safety advisor with expertise in disability inclusion, etc.

Your workplace may have a local adjustments policy, process and plan template you can circulate to your team members. A plan template and decision-making table are available in Workplace adjustment resources.

Considering flexible work

Flexible work arrangements may be one type of adjustment that would benefit an employee to help them manage the impacts of their condition on their work and vice versa.

Where a person needs flexible work to support accessibility, disability, a condition or neurodivergence, or caring responsibilities for someone with related needs, it may be better to use an adjustment plan if documentation is needed, instead of a flexible work arrangement.

This may provide employees with:

• greater confidence or feeling of safety, noting the broad framework of legislation and protection for adjustments
• a plan that better meets or caters for the full set of adjustments they may need, beyond just flexible work.

For employees who are not neurodivergent, do not have a disability or a physical or mental health condition, or are not a carer, assistant or associate of someone who does, any request for flexible work should be made under the relevant provisions of the Industrial Relations Act 2016.

Refer to the FlexConnect framework for further information.

The obligation to implement workplace adjustments to prevent discrimination extends to pre-employment as well, for example, during a recruitment process.

In addition to legislated obligations, it is a requirement of the directive on recruitment and selection that equity, diversity, respect and inclusion principles are integrated into recruitment and selection processes, supporting the consideration of adjustments for potential employees. In consultation with the potential employee, changes to a recruitment process can be made, enabling the person to do their best and compete equitably for an opportunity.

Considering the adjustment needs of employees or potential employees can start with the development of employee value propositions and ensuring people with lived experience are actively involved in the design and communications materials.

Messaging on entity websites about the availability of adjustments or the presence of employees from diversity groups in imagery can also contribute to attraction efforts and building an inclusive workplace that embraces difference and provides the conditions where people can thrive.

Accessible and inclusive recruitment process design

The below suggestions are focussed on success for workplace adjustments, or preventing the need for them. For broader information and ideas about inclusive recruitment, see Recruit for diversity.

Business Queensland also has useful information about disability-inclusive recruitment practices.

Consider embedding the following into your recruitment process:

• Train panel members using the free online Queensland Government disability awareness module
• Have at least one panel member with lived experience of disability
• Make all recruitment materials accessible and available in alternative formats
• Let all applicants know that they can request any adjustments needed for the interview process (see section below)
• Base interview questions on the essential requirements of the role, with behavioural questioning
• If the position is an identified position for a person with disability, a question about how their lived experience enables them to fulfil specific duties of the role is appropriate
• Give candidates enough time to think about the questions—such as by providing them the day before
• Keep all personal information private and confidential
• Choose an accessible venue and meeting room to host the interview if it is face to face
• Ensure reserved accessible parking is available where possible
• If online, practice accessible digital meeting rules (e.g., one person speaks at once, keep cameras on, set up auto-captions).

Offer adjustments to every candidate

It is a good practice idea to proactively offer adjustments in the advertisement and/or in the invitation to interview. For example:

Note, it is the employer’s responsibility to arrange an interpreter. Ask if they have a preferred interpreter service, if the entity does not already have a preferred service.

Responding to requests

Respond positively to the request. If it is easy to accommodate, let them know. Consult with the candidate if they haven’t suggested a solution. For example:

Accessible and inclusive job offers

What to consider:

• If first extending an offer via telephone, check that telephone is a suitable method of communication for the candidate.
• Ensure all documents (such as Letters of Offer or Contracts) are formatted as accessible and use correct tagging in PDF—most have built-in accessibility checkers.
• When sending out the documents, ask if the candidate requires any support or adjustments to complete the contract or if the candidate requires an alternative format for the documents.
• Where possible and relevant, adjustments previously supported by other sector entities should be portable or replicated in the new role.

Everyone needs clarity, structure, a sense of direction and empathy from their workplace while starting a new role and joining a new team. Managers can directly welcome a discussion about workplace adjustments, or integrate them into a strength-based discussion with new starters. During these discussions, managers can ask employees about their individual needs and whether any adjustments may be required.

Where an employee requests an adjustment, determine how to communicate the adjustment to others if useful, so they can understand and work better as a team. This should be negotiated with the employee to ensure that their privacy is respected.

Other things to consider at induction:

• Ensure onboarding paperwork iterates that adjustments can be sought at any stage of employment.
• Ensure mandatory eLearning programs have been reviewed for accessibility (including compatibility for vision software). Where they haven’t, offer facilitated or alternate versions of the training.
• Ensure any presentations or meetings conducted during the induction consider access and inclusion. For example, make sure that any PowerPoint presentations are accessible and online meetings consider accessible digital meeting rules.

The performance review process is about having an open conversation and exploring if there is anything getting in the way of the employee’s ability to perform, and supporting their overall career development.

Before commencing a routine performance development plan, review any workplace adjustments to make sure these have been working.

Offering and implementing adjustments is aligned with the Public Sector Commission’s directive on positive performance management.

Career progression and training

Everyone should have equitable access to opportunities, even if adjustments need to be made to facilitate this. What to consider:

• Integrate career development into performance planning to encourage better retention and keep valuable skills and experience.
• Regularly assess adjustments in place and whether these require modification.
• Ensure training opportunities and e-learning are accessible and inclusive. Work with appropriate suppliers to conduct an accessibility review and make improvements.
• Discuss promotional opportunities at regular intervals and ensure recruitment processes promote equity, diversity, respect and inclusion.

Performance concerns

Where a manager has concerns about employee performance, a proactive open conversation with the employee about their wellbeing and factors influencing their work is required. Adjustments or other supports would usually be offered and trialled and may be successful in addressing performance issues. In some instances, they may not, and performance concerns may continue.

If the employee’s performance is impacted by a medical condition, consider the available medical information or seek further medical information about the employee’s capacity to undertake their role. This can be done by contacting the employee’s medical practitioner (with the employees’ consent) or by seeking an independent medical examination.

For more information, refer to the Public Sector Act 2022 (Chapter 3, Part 8, Division 5, mental or physical incapacity), the independent medical examinations directive and any local policy or procedures.

Recognising that workplace adjustments can be requested by current or potential employees at any stage of their employment, requires that managers and leaders are familiar with how the process should be implemented.

The ‘how’—a process for implementing adjustments

Workplaces that develop a local adjustments policy and plan templates create an authorising environment for workplace adjustments—which normalises their use and helps lessen or prevent barriers to access.

Step 1: Manager invites job candidates and employees to consider their adjustments needs

Step 2: Employee considers and submits request

Step 3: Manager/s respond

Step 4: Monitor and review.

The workplace adjustments plan template (DOCX, 1.3 MB) features the suggested process and all components (such as a privacy statement and a file note section to document consideration of human rights) that are required.

What level of documentation is required?

Depending on the circumstances, in some instances a verbal discussion about adjustments may be enough to support and implement a change or purchase any equipment needed.

In other situations, a workplace adjustment plan may be useful. This document can communicate an employee’s accessibility needs at work with their current or future manager and be co-signed if necessary.

If such documentation is created or filed, it needs to include a privacy information collection notice and if it is rejected in part or in full, it also needs a section to file note the manager’s consideration of the person’s human rights.

See the workplace adjustments plan template (DOCX, 1.3 MB) for all components that are required.

What evidence of need is necessary?

Visit privacy and confidentiality to determine if any documentary evidence of need is required.

Sourcing assessments to find adjustment options

To source new assessments and practical information from an appropriate professional, a panel of external supports is available to Queensland public sector entities through the Workplace Health and Wellbeing Preferred Supplier Panel (GGS0113-25) which can be located by searching the internal Queensland Government Arrangements Directory. This can be particularly helpful in instances when the employee may have no diagnosis, be going through diagnosis or was diagnosed late in life and is unsure what options could be useful.

Seeking further medical information from the employee’s medical practitioner (with the employees’ consent) may provide practical information on how best to support the employee in the workplace.

Decision making

When undertaking an assessment of an adjustment request, the decision maker:

• must make decisions in consultation with the person making the request and with genuine consideration of their input
• may require a collaborative approach with specialist teams, such as IT, to find suitable options—especially if there are constraints (eg security restrictions).

Factors to be considered by managers should include:

• what their obligations are under the relevant legislation (refer to legislation requirement and conditions)
• whether further information is required (i.e. from the employee’s treating practitioner)
• if the solution requested will be effective and improve accessibility or inclusion
• what the impacts may be for the individual making the request, other team members and the broader workplace
• the costs, if any
• the benefits the adjustment would provide to both the employee and the organisation.

For a deeper exploration of the factors, consult the workplace adjustments decision-making table (PDF, 231.2 KB) . There is also a workplace adjustments plan template (DOCX, 1.3 MB) which sets out all the parts managers and employees may need.

To review a summary of the legislation and to understand key terms like unjustifiable hardship, see Legislative requirements and considerations.