A Guide to Workplace Adjustments Passports

What is a Workplace Adjustment Passport?

Workplace Adjustment Passports are written accounts of the workplace alterations and adjustments staff members need to be able to perform in their jobs. A bit like a passport for travel, a written record of approved changes enables individuals to access or negotiate the same adjustments in new working environments. Using passports to track approved changes helps staff start conversations with their managers or workplace leaders and get their needs met in different working situations.  

Most often people with disabilities, neurodivergence, or health conditions use Workplace Adjustment Passports to negotiate changes with their managers. But anyone can use them to make adjustments to their working environments or situations, where they need to.  

Some people refer to Workplace Adjustment Passports as Reasonable Adjustments passports or inclusion passports. And while making Reasonable Adjustments for people with disabilities is mandatory under The Equality Act 2010, Workplace Adjustment Passports have a broader remit. 

Why Do People Need Workplace Adjustment Passports?

In general, Workplace Adjustment Passports help people work effectively and transition between jobs. By recording changes and adjustments in an official document, staff can move smoothly between roles in the same organisation. Passports also help with moving to new locations, changing jobs, or negotiating the same alterations in different contexts.  

Other key reasons someone would benefit from Workplace Adjustment Passports include: 

• Recording personal information like name, address, employers, and why someone needs workplace adjustments
• Keeping accurate records of support levels and required workplace changes 
• Provides evidence of a manager’s approval of workplace adjustments 
• Validates and authenticates a person’s specific requirements 
• Allows workplace adjustments to move with the individual into new work environments
• Helps with calculating potential costs or tracking budgets
• Lets new hires hit the ground running and enables smooth employment transitions
• Saves time while minimising the need for renegotiating  

In a broader sense, promoting Workplace Adjustment Passports can boost employer branding and attract applicants from a broader talent pool. For instance, around 40% of people with disabilities are looking for work and often have distinct talents and abilities to bring to the workforce. 

Workplace Adjustment Passport Template

So what does a Workplace Adjustment Passport look like and how should you use one? 

Key information to feature in a document includes background information on an employee, the challenges they face, and the types of changes to make. All documents should be clear and logical so they’re easy to present to others. And it’s vital to include the following information: 

1. Name of Workplace Adjustment Passport holder, line manager, team, or department
2. Full details of the disability, neurodivergence, or condition
3. Reasons for the changes highlighting potential barriers, e.g. language, injury, accessibility needs
4. Details of the adjustments to address these barriers
5. Key strengths and abilities of the individual – what they can bring to a workplace
6. A summary of the changes and the dates they occurred
7. Line manager approval 

The Civil Service offers a solid Workplace Adjustment Passport template which serves as an example of the types of information you’ll want to include. It’s important for each document to include dates of changes and agreed approval from line managers or leaders. 

Holders of passports are then encouraged to share them with line managers and leaders in all contexts. This could include HR and people leaders, health and safety officers, events staff, team members, and assessors. They should also conduct a review every six months to consider potential updates or changes in an employee’s condition. 

Examples of Use

There’s a surprising number of contexts in which someone should use Workplace Adjustments Passports. This makes them an essential document for almost everyone, and in particular, those who have neurodivergence. Estimates suggest over 30% of the population is neurodivergent, yet many remain undiagnosed. 

By allowing individuals the opportunity to seek help through Access to Work or other schemes, employers must then make Reasonable Adjustments that support neurodivergent workers to reduce overstimulation or use assistive technology to boost their performance, for instance. 

In all instances, details logged in Workplace Adjustments Passports should serve as a starting point for a discussion. Each context will be different. And, of course, not all employers and environments will be able to match adjustments in a like-for-like way. 

Some of the specific contexts to use Workplace Adjustments Passports include: 

• Needing a particular pattern of working hours to meet medical, health, or disability needs
• Providing extra time to complete projects or giving time off for medical treatments
• Assistive tech like screen readers, dictation, and captioning and transcription software
• IT equipment and gadgets such as digital recorders or alternative keyboards
• Noise-reducing headphones or ergonomic keyboards
• Changes to lighting, noises, or private working environments 
• Accessible kitchens, toilets, lifts, and parking spaces
• Highlighting communication preferences like email only or including captions on Zoom calls