Hiya! looking for some advice on a work situation.
I’ve been with a large UK(England) company for around 10 years in an admin/technical role (part-time). I have a long-term medical condition that affects my energy levels, muscle function, and cognitive pace. My employer has been aware of this throughout my employment. Currently I’m awaiting an operation that should help me more within the next 6 months.
For most of that time, I had informal adjustments in place (specific duties, flexibility, and some ability to manage my working pattern around my condition). These worked well and I had no performance issues.
Following a change in management:- My duties were reassigned The adjustments I’d had for years were effectively removed I’m now expected to meet the same targets without those adjustments.
I was referred to Occupational Health, who confirmed: My condition is likely covered under the Equality Act 2010 I am fit to work with reasonable adjustments My condition is fluctuating and currently impacting my ability to meet targets Recommended adjustments include flexibility, clear expectations, and supportive working arrangements Since then:
I’ve been told not to work outside my contracted hours (which I had been using to manage my condition)
I’m still being assessed against standard targets and this has affected my pay review
Work allocation makes it harder for me to maintain output compared to colleagues
I’ve raised this with HR and have a meeting coming up.
My questions are:
Could removing long-standing adjustments without proper review amount to a failure to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act?
Can an employer continue to assess performance against standard targets when Occupational Health has said adjustments are needed?
Is it reasonable to remove flexibility but keep expectations the same?
At what point would this potentially become disability discrimination?
I’m not looking to take action immediately, just trying to understand my position before the meeting. I’m slightly worried as the OH report added “Ultimately, it is for the business to decide what is reasonable for them to accommodate within the needs of the business. The business should take HR and legal advice on what may be considered reasonable for the business to accommodate.”
Thanks in advance.