The scenario in this article is illustrative. It is a composite built from situations that come up often in workplace assessments, and it describes no real person, employer or report. It is written for the line managers, HR advisers and occupational health teams who refer into the process, and shows it in the order it happens.
A line manager in a regional office has an employee who has become quieter. She used to volunteer for client calls. Lately she avoids them. Her emails are shorter, her desk is tidy but she sits very close to the screen, and she has begun to say “I’ll look at that later” about documents she once read straight away. The manager suspects something is wrong with her eyesight but has never been told. She does not know what to say, and she is worried about saying the wrong thing.
This case study follows what happens next.
Step one: the conversation
The most important step comes before any referral. A manager does not need to diagnose anything or guess at a cause. The aim is a calm, private, specific conversation that makes it easy for the employee to say what they want to say.
In this scenario, the manager says she has noticed things have changed, that she is not concerned about performance, and that she wants to understand whether there is anything in the working environment she could change. She asks the employee how she would prefer to talk about it. She does not ask for a diagnosis and does not suggest an explanation.
The employee says that her sight has been getting worse for some time and that she did not want to be seen as a problem. The conversation is short. It is also the point at which things start to improve.
The manager then explains what could happen next, and that nothing will be shared without the employee’s agreement.
Step two: the referral
A referral to occupational health, or directly for a workplace assessment, is a practical request. A good one gives the job title, a short description of the role and the working pattern, the equipment the person currently uses, and what the employer is hoping to understand. It says whether the employee has agreed to the referral. It is clear about what is being asked.
It is equally important to say what is not being asked. A workplace assessment is non-clinical. It does not diagnose, predict how a condition will progress, or give a view on fitness for work. If the employer wants medical opinion, that comes from occupational health or the person’s clinicians.
Step three: the assessment
The assessment can be carried out by video call or in person. The assessor speaks with the employee about three things.
The first is the job. What does she do across a typical day? Which systems does she use? How much of the work is reading, how much is meetings or calls, how much is face to face? What does her workstation look like, and how is the work divided between the office and home?
The second is her sight or hearing at work. This is a practical account, not a clinical history. What can she see or hear, at what size or distance, in what conditions? Where is it hardest? What does she already do to get by?
The third is the environment and the equipment. Lighting, noise, layout, the computer, the phone, the meeting rooms. And what has been tried before.
The manager does not need to sit in on the assessment, and the employee may well speak more freely on her own. That is a decision to make with the employee beforehand.
Step four: the report
The assessor writes a workplace adjustments report. It describes the role and the work environment, sets out the barriers in the employee’s own terms, and makes recommendations. Each recommendation has its own title and its own reason, which links back to something the employee described, so it can be understood and acted on separately.
Recommendations that need a decision by the employer are flagged for the line manager and employee to discuss. Equipment recommendations are specific enough to order. Where a recommendation involves a product that needs learning, the report recommends training from the supplier.
The report is written in cautious language. It says what an adjustment may do, not what it will do, because outcomes differ between individuals. It also makes clear what it is not: it is not a medical report, a legal opinion, or an assessment of fitness for work.
Step five: the discussion
This is the step that most often decides whether the report works. In this scenario, the manager and the employee read the recommendations together, then each is talked through: what is being proposed, why, who needs to act, and whether it is reasonable in the circumstances.
Some recommendations are quick, such as sending documents in an editable format and agreeing that colleagues say their name when they approach her desk. Some need a purchase and some need a conversation with IT. A few need time, such as arranging training on a new tool. The manager agrees an order, keeps the employee informed, and records what has been agreed.
Where a recommendation cannot be done, or not yet, the useful response is an honest explanation and, if possible, an alternative, not silence. Employees often say that being told why something cannot happen is easier to accept than not hearing back.
Step six: funding and wider support
Many adjustments are low-cost and sit within what employers are expected to provide. Access to Work, run by the Department for Work and Pensions, can pay for some practical support for eligible people in England, Scotland and Wales, such as specialist equipment, but GOV.UK states that it does not cover reasonable adjustments an employer must legally make. Check GOV.UK for the current rules and how to apply. The assessment report can help show what is needed, but it is not a substitute for an application where one is relevant.
What this might change
In this scenario, the changes are practical and the outcomes are cautious. The employee may spend less effort getting information and more time doing the work. The manager may stop guessing. The team may become a little more used to speaking up when something is not working.
The wider effect is on trust. Employees who see that disclosure leads to practical help are more likely to raise problems early, which is better for everyone than waiting until performance suffers.
What line managers, HR and occupational health can take from this
Start with the conversation, not the referral. Ask about the work, not the condition. Say clearly what a workplace assessment will and will not do. Make the discussion of the report a proper meeting, with time set aside. Act on the quick measures straight away, because early visible action builds confidence. And be honest about what cannot be done.
Legal rights and support
Under the Equality Act 2010, a person is disabled where they have an impairment with a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Where the definition is met, the employer must make reasonable adjustments. Whether the definition is met for a particular person depends on their circumstances, and this article is general information rather than legal advice.
Summary
The manager in this scenario did not need medical knowledge. She needed to start a conversation, ask for the right kind of help, and follow through on what she was told. A workplace assessment gives that process structure, and gives the employee a voice in how her working environment is changed.
Watch the short film
A short film about an employee with hearing loss who does not know what to ask for, and why employers should not leave it to them to work it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is an illustrative composite, written to show how the assessment process works. It does not describe a real person, employer or report.
The manager does not need to be. Employees may speak more freely on their own, so it is worth agreeing this with them beforehand. The manager's role is to make the referral, support the process and then discuss the report with the employee.
The conversation needs to be voluntary. An employer cannot make someone disclose a condition, and a referral should only go ahead with their agreement. What the manager can do is keep the offer open and make clear that support is available.
Read it with the employee, discuss each recommendation, agree what will be done and when, and keep the employee informed. Recommendations that depend on an employer decision are marked as such.
If you or someone in your team has a sight or hearing difficulty and would like expert, tailored support to stay productive and comfortable at work, visit https://visualisetrainingandconsultancy.com/workplace-assessments/ to arrange a workplace assessment.
Sources
Acas, Reasonable adjustments at work: https://www.acas.org.uk/reasonable-adjustments
GOV.UK, Reasonable adjustments for disabled workers: https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-disabled-workers
GOV.UK, Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work
GOV.UK, Access to Work, Eligibility: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work/eligibility
GOV.UK, Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010: https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010
legislation.gov.uk, Equality Act 2010, section 20: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/20