This short film sets out three practical steps a manager can take while an employee waits for an Access to Work decision. The National Audit Office reported in February 2026 that the average processing time had risen from 28 days in 2020 to 2021 to 109 days by November 2025. Reasonable adjustments remain the employer’s duty in the meantime.
Transcript
Support can be slow to arrive. The National Audit Office reported in February 2026 that Access to Work now takes an average of 109 days to process. In 2020 to 2021, the average was 28 days. But your employee is working today.
Reasonable adjustments are the employer’s duty. Access to Work is there to support beyond that, so waiting for it is not a plan.
Step 1, name one person who owns this and tell your employee who it is. Step 2, agree when you will update them, even when there is nothing new to say. Step 3, put sensible interim changes in place now, such as lighting, screen settings or meeting arrangements, and review them. A workplace assessment looks at the person, the job and the workplace.
If you or someone in your team is deaf, has hearing loss or is visually impaired and would like expert, tailored support to stay productive and comfortable at work, visit https://visualisetrainingandconsultancy.com/workplace-assessments/ to arrange a workplace assessment.