Resource guide
Managing Adjustments
Reasonable adjustments often fail after the request has been made. The employee speaks up. The manager wants to help. HR may be involved. Occupational health may make a recommendation. Then the process slows down, fragments or disappears.
By Calling All Minds·Last updated May 2026
Overview
Management vs. conversation
Managing reasonable adjustments means having a clear process for receiving a request, understanding the barrier, deciding what is reasonable, assigning ownership, implementing the adjustment and reviewing whether it works.
It is the difference between a supportive conversation and a reliable system. A form is not a process. A record is not implementation. A policy is not proof that support is working.
Failure points
Why systems fail
Reasonable adjustments often fail at the transition points where information is lost or ownership is unclear.
| Failure point | What it creates |
|---|---|
| No response timeline | Delay, uncertainty and loss of trust |
| Repeated disclosure | Exhaustion for the employee and inconsistent records |
| Lost context | Decisions become dependent on memory and disappear when managers change |
| Unclear ownership | Actions stall because nobody knows who is responsible |
| No review cycle | Support becomes outdated and stops matching the work |
| Fragmented records | Information sits across emails and spreadsheets with no visibility |
Maturity
Adjustment maturity curve
Organisations move through different stages of maturity in how they handle adjustments. The purpose of maturity is not bureaucracy, but reliability.
| Stage | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Reactive | Responds only when someone asks; support depends on individual persistence |
| Recorded | Keeps notes or forms, but information may not drive action |
| Assigned | Names owners for agreed actions so responsibility is clear |
| Managed | Tracks status, implementation and review; the process is reliable |
| Embedded | Builds adjustments into normal practice; less dependent on one manager |
Workflow
A good adjustment workflow
A strong workflow protects everyone. The employee is not left chasing, and the manager is not left guessing.
| Step | Output |
|---|---|
| Request | Clear record of the barrier or support need raised |
| Understanding | Shared context of the disadvantage being experienced |
| Decision | Written outcome of what will be agreed or changed |
| Ownership | Named action owners responsible for implementation |
| Implementation | Status visibility showing the adjustment has happened |
| Review | Scheduled check to ensure support is still working |
Passports
Adjustment passports
An adjustment passport can reduce repeated disclosure and preserve context across changes. However, a passport is only as good as the system it sits within.
If a passport records a need but does not trigger action, it is only a document. If it is not reviewed, it becomes stale. AXS Passport provides the infrastructure to make these records active and accountable. Explore AXS Passport
Manage adjustments reliably
Move from supportive conversations to a reliable system that ensures support actually happens.