How to Ask for Reasonable Adjustments at Work (UK) — Without Sounding Difficult
A calm guide for when you need support but don’t want it to backfire
If you’ve ever opened a draft email about your health, access needs, or workload and thought, “This sounds either too apologetic or too demanding,” you’re not alone.
Asking for reasonable adjustments at work can feel like walking a tightrope. You want to be clear about what you need — without being seen as “difficult,” emotional, or over-explaining yourself.
This guide isn’t about quoting law or making threats.
It’s about writing in a way that keeps things professional, procedural, and safe.
If your situation involves performance reviews, sickness absence, or formal meetings, wording becomes more sensitive — this is where most people ask me to step in.
This guide shows structure, not strategy. The part that usually changes outcomes is how your specific situation is framed — not just what’s written.
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Why These Emails Feel So Risky
Most people aren’t worried about asking for support.
They’re worried about how the request will be read.
In workplaces, emails often become:
• Part of an internal record
• Forwarded to HR or management
• Used to guide formal decisions
That means tone matters just as much as content.
A message meant to explain can accidentally sound like a complaint.
A request meant to be practical can sound like a demand.
The goal isn’t to “win” the email.
The goal is to make it easy for the organisation to respond properly.
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What “Reasonable Adjustments” Really Means (In Plain English)
At its core, a reasonable adjustment is about removing a barrier, not asking for special treatment.
That barrier might be:
• A work pattern
• A physical setup
• A communication method
• A process or expectation
Your email doesn’t need to prove anything.
It just needs to explain the barrier and the practical change that would help.
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The Three Mistakes That Make These Emails Harder Than They Need to Be
1. Over-Explaining Your Health
You don’t need to justify yourself with personal detail.
More information doesn’t always equal more clarity — sometimes it just creates more room for misinterpretation.
2. Apologising for Needing Support
Starting with “Sorry to bother you” or “I know this is a lot to ask” frames your request as a problem before it’s even been read.
3. Being Vague About What You’re Asking For
“I just need some support” is honest — but it’s not actionable.
People respond better when they know exactly what step to take next.
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A Simple Framework That Works
Before you send, check your email answers these three things:
1. What’s the barrier?
One or two sentences. Factual. Neutral.
2. What’s the impact on your work?
Keep it practical, not personal.
3. What adjustment are you asking for?
Something specific and reasonable.
If those three are clear, you’re already doing most of the work for the person reading it.
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Example (Before & After)
Before
I’ve been really struggling lately and I don’t feel like things are being taken seriously. It’s making me anxious and I don’t know how much longer I can keep going like this.
After
I’m writing to explain that my current workload and schedule are making it difficult for me to manage my health needs consistently. I would appreciate discussing a temporary adjustment to my start times so I can continue working effectively.
Same message.
Very different outcome.
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Starter Framework — Reasonable Adjustments Email
This is a starting point, not a finished letter.
Subject: Request to discuss reasonable adjustments
Dear [Name],
I’m writing to explain that I’m experiencing a barrier in my current working arrangements that is affecting my ability to carry out my role consistently.
I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss a reasonable adjustment that may help address this and allow me to continue working effectively.
Please let me know a suitable time to talk this through, or if you’d prefer this to be handled via HR or Occupational Health.
Kind regards,
[Your name]
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What’s Usually Missing From Copied Emails
• How to describe impact without disclosing personal details
• When to move from “informal request” to a formal process
• How to frame adjustments as practical solutions, not personal needs
• How to keep a paper trail without sounding confrontational
This is the part I help people with — shaping a message so it protects your position, not just sends the email.
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When Things Start to Feel Formal
If replies begin referencing policy, HR, or Occupational Health, it usually means your request is being handled as part of a formal process.
That’s not a bad thing — but it does mean your wording may now:
• Be logged
• Be shared internally
• Influence how next steps are decided
At this stage, clarity and tone matter even more than speed.
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Final Thought
Needing an adjustment doesn’t make you difficult.
But how you ask for it can shape how smoothly things move forward.
If you’ve written something and thought,
“This makes sense to me, but I don’t know how it will land,”
you don’t have to send it alone.
That’s exactly why I created WorkWords — to help people turn sensitive, high-stakes messages into clear, calm, professional writing that gets taken seriously.
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Want this shaped for your specific role and situation?
I can help you tailor your wording so it reflects your context, risk, and next steps before you hit send.