Reasonable Adjustments at Work for Mental Health

If you are struggling at work because of your mental health, you may be entitled to changes that make your job more manageable. This is not a favour from a sympathetic manager, it is something UK law provides for, and knowing how it works can make it far easier to ask.

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In short: UK employees with mental health difficulties that are long-term and significant can ask for reasonable adjustments at work under the Equality Act 2010, without disclosing a diagnosis, and there are clear steps if that request is ignored.

• The Equality Act 2010 can cover mental health conditions if they are long-term and have a substantial effect on daily life
• Cheap, practical adjustments such as flexible hours or quiet space often make the biggest difference
• You can describe the impact of your difficulties without naming a diagnosis

What the Equality Act covers and when it applies

The Equality Act 2010 protects people with disabilities from discrimination at work, and mental health conditions can count as a disability under this law. The usual test is whether your condition is long-term, meaning it has lasted or is likely to last 12 months or more, and whether it has a substantial effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

This can include conditions such as depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD or bipolar disorder, but it is not about the label. It is about the effect on you. A condition that makes it hard to concentrate, sleep, travel, or cope with change can meet the threshold even without a formal diagnosis on file.

Once your employer knows, or reasonably ought to know, that you have a condition that could meet this definition, they have a legal duty to consider reasonable adjustments. You do not need to wait for things to become unbearable before raising it. Early requests, when things are starting to feel difficult, are often easier for everyone to manage than a crisis response later on.

Adjustments that are cheap and that work

Most useful adjustments cost little or nothing. The aim is to reduce friction, not to lower expectations of your work.

Some examples that are often straightforward to agree:

• Flexible start and finish times, to allow for medication, sleep difficulties, or appointments
• Working from home on some days, or a quieter desk if you are office based
• Written instructions after meetings, if verbal information is harder to retain when anxious
• Permission to step away briefly during a difficult moment, with an agreed way to signal this
• A trial period for a new way of working, reviewed after a few weeks rather than treated as permanent
• Reduced or restructured meetings on particularly demanding days
• A single point of contact for workload queries, rather than multiple people assigning tasks

It helps to think about what specifically makes your day harder, rather than trying to solve everything at once. One or two well chosen changes, properly implemented, usually matter more than a long list that nobody reviews.

How to ask without disclosing a diagnosis

You are not required to name a diagnosis to ask for support. What matters, legally and practically, is describing the effect your condition has on your work.

A useful approach:

• Focus on function, not label. Instead of naming a condition, describe what is hard: concentrating for long periods, coping with sudden changes, managing noise or interruptions, getting through busy periods without becoming overwhelmed
• Suggest a specific adjustment, rather than leaving it open. It is easier for a manager to agree to something concrete than to guess what would help
• Ask for it in writing, even if you raise it in conversation first. A short follow-up email confirming what was discussed and agreed protects you later and avoids misunderstandings
• Consider going to HR rather than your line manager if you would rather keep details away from someone you work closely with day to day

You can mention that the difficulty is ongoing rather than a one-off bad patch, since this is part of what makes it relevant under the law, without going into clinical detail.

If you want some structure before raising it, Mind has information on workplace rights that can help you think through what to ask for and how to phrase it.

What to do if the request is ignored

Sometimes a reasonable request is simply not acted on. If this happens:

• Follow up in writing. A polite email noting that the request was raised on a particular date and asking for an update is often enough to get things moving again
• Keep a record of every conversation, including dates and who was present. This matters if you need to escalate later
• Ask whether a referral to occupational health is possible. This can give an employer independent advice on what is reasonable, which sometimes carries more weight than an employee's own request
• Use your organisation's formal grievance procedure if informal attempts have not worked. This is not an aggressive step, it is simply the structured route most employers expect you to use when things stall
• If your mental health is being affected by the stress of this process itself, it can help to talk to a therapist about work, both to manage the strain and to think through your options with some distance from it

You do not need to handle this entirely alone. Union representatives, where available, can also support you through this process, and some people find it easier to have someone else present difficult conversations with HR.

What to do this week

Start small. Write down, in plain terms, what is currently hard about your working day, not the diagnosis, just the effect. Pick one adjustment that would realistically help, something specific rather than vague. Raise it with your manager or HR, and follow up with a short email confirming what was discussed.

If you are not sure where to start, or the thought of the conversation itself feels overwhelming, services such as Mind a Porter can help you think it through with a therapist before you say anything to your employer. You do not need to have everything figured out to take the first step, you only need to name one thing that would make this week slightly more manageable.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to name my condition to get support? You are not required to name a diagnosis to ask for workplace adjustments. Instead, you can describe the specific impact your difficulties have on your daily work tasks. Focusing on the functional challenges, such as difficulties with concentration or managing noise, is both legally and practically sufficient for your employer to consider your request.

What qualifies as a long-term mental health condition? Under the law, a condition is typically considered long-term if it has lasted or is likely to last for at least twelve months. It must also have a substantial effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. You do not need a formal diagnosis on file for your situation to meet this threshold.

How can I suggest changes to my working routine? You should identify one or two specific, practical adjustments that would make your working day more manageable. It is helpful to suggest concrete solutions, such as flexible start times or quiet workspaces, rather than leaving the request open. Always follow up your initial conversation with a short email to confirm what you have discussed.

What steps should I take if my request is ignored? If your request is not acted upon, you should send a polite follow-up email to ask for an update. Keep a detailed record of all your conversations, including dates and participants, to help you if you need to escalate the matter. You may also consider asking for an occupational health referral or using your organisation's formal grievance procedure.