Guidance and resources for line managers

Many managers worry about not having all the answers — but it’s OK not to know everything straight away. What matters most is being open, respectful, and committed to working with your team member to find the right support and adjustments. 

Good practice includes: 

• Creating a safe space for honest discussion by encouraging your team members to come to you if they are experiencing barriers and think they may need adjustments. Asking open, respectful questions about what an individual needs, rather than focusing on the details of their condition. 
• Providing clarity for the individual throughout the process as far as possible, explain what happens next, including confidentiality and next steps. 
• Following up, checking in regularly and arranging formal reviews of any agreed adjustments. 
• Document the plan plus any agreed adjustments and review dates.  

See the Reasonable Adjustments Pocket Guide for more detailed guidance on discussing and implementing reasonable adjustments (page 6). 

Workplace adjustments are often simple, low-cost changes that make a big difference.  

Examples include: 

• Flexible start/finish times 
• Blocking out individual calendars for focused work 
• Quiet workspaces or noise-cancelling headphones 
• Specialist software or equipment, such as Read&Write for reading text out loud (available on the LSE App Store) or an IPad with an apple pen for note-taking
• Regular breaks or adjusted workloads focusing on individual strengths. 

Your role is to listen to the barriers experienced by the individual, help by exploring options, and liaise with your HR Partner, the Staff Disability and Mental Health Adviser and/or Occupational Health as needed. 

Occupational Health (OH) plays an important role in supporting employees with health conditions or disabilities in the workplace. As a manager, you may work with OH to ensure colleagues receive appropriate support and adjustments to thrive in their role. 

What Is Occupational Health? 

LSE’s Occupational Health (OH) service provides independent, specialist medical advice on employee health and wellbeing in relation to work. 

Occupational Health Advisers are trained healthcare professionals who advise on: 

How a job might impact an employee’s health

How an employee’s health might impact their ability to carry out their role 

Recommendations for workplace adjustments or support.  

What Can Occupational Health Advise On? 

Occupational Health may be consulted to: 

• Advise employees experiencing physical or mental health difficulties affecting work and their line managers 
• Help identify reasonable adjustments for employees with a disability, neurodiverse or long-term mental health or physical health condition 
• Help understand whether an undiagnosed condition is contributing to absence or performance concerns 
• Plan a phased return to work after long-term sickness or injury 
• Assess an employee’s fitness for work or expected return timeline 
• Manage temporary conditions or supporting ill-health retirement 
• Help reduce health risks in the workplace. 

Manager Responsibilities 

Before making a referral, managers are encouraged to: 

• Speak to their HR Partner to explore whether a referral is appropriate 
• Discuss the referral with the employee and request their consent 
• Collaborate with the employee when completing the referral form, including agreeing on what questions to ask 
• Consider alternative or additional support such as:
  •  Health & Safety workstation assessments 
  • The Access to Work scheme and/or interim support, such as workplace strategy coaching. 

 What Happens After Referral? 

• The employee is contacted to arrange an appointment (usually remote, in-person if needed). 
• A written report is produced following the assessment. 
• The employee reviews the report first, with five working days to provide consent for it to be shared. 
• Once shared, the manager and employee should meet to discuss the recommendations, with support available from HR. 

Common Outcomes and Recommendations 

Occupational Health might suggest: 

Specific workplace adjustments (e.g. changes to duties, working environment, or workload) 

Temporary arrangements like a phased return to work 

Referral to other policies (e.g. Flexible Working) 

Use of workplace strategy coaching or other internal support 

Signposting to Access to Work for equipment, travel, or support worker funding 

In some cases, consideration of redeployment or ill-health retirement. 

Putting Adjustments into Practice 

Once recommendations are received: 

• Approach discussions with empathy and acknowledge this process can feel overwhelming and stressful for some colleagues. 
• Document any agreed adjustments, either by email or using the Workplace Adjustments Planner, sharing a copy with the employee. 
• Set a review date - adjustments may need to be adapted over time. 
• If the employee is recommended to apply to Access to Work, remember applications can take a long time to process, but interim support may be available. See Workplace Adjustments Funding for more information or consult with the Staff Disability and Mental Health Adviser. 
• Remember support is available! HR can provide advice to you throughout the process. 

Boost your confidence with practical resources and training opportunities: 

• LSE Manager Forum: Demystifying Disability in the Workplace  
• Reasonable Adjustments Pocket Guide  
• Access to Work Toolkit 
• Business Disability Forum offers a wide range of useful guidance and toolkits for employers in supporting and making adjustments for disabled employees – any staff member can register with their LSE email address to access the resources.