Equality Act 2010
Certain conditions such as Cancer, HIV, Multiple Sclerosis and blindness are automatically covered under the Equality Act. This means that employers need to make reasonable adjustments to the work place to enable employees to continue to work
Other conditions may be covered by the Equality Act if the condition causes an impairment, if the condition is likely to last for more than 12 months and if the condition substantially affects day to day living. The final decision as to whether or not a person has a condition that is covered by the Equality Act is a legal decision and it is up to the employer to decide if the Equality Act applies or might apply to an individual.
Occupational Health can assist employers by providing advise that allows them to easily come to a conclusion
Occupational Health can also help employers in deciding what adjustments may be necessary. The employer must then decide if these adjustments are reasonable in the context of their business. Generally the larger the company the more a court or tribunal would expect reasonable adjustments to be accommodated.
Making an adjustment may mean that a physical feature needs to be altered. Physical features include:
- steps and stairs
- passageways and paths
- entrances and exits
- internal and external doors
- toilets
- signs
- lighting and ventilation
The kind of adjustments which could be made includes removing, changing or providing a way of avoiding the physical feature, where it’s reasonable to do so. Example include:
- providing ramps and stairway lifts
- making doorways wider
- installing automatic doors
- providing more lighting and clearer signs
For more information contact us