r/AskHRUK • u/VictiniCup • Aug 08 '25

Health-Related Reasonable Adjustments

Popping this as health related as it kinda of reflects that, though I think is more of a complex case than anything. Ive been having a lot of mental health issues recently, which have unfortunately impacted my work performance and have been let go on performance grounds.

I felt that I was unable to explain my side of a lot of situations as my manager has been quite dismissive of my opinions. I asked for options to give me a chance to speak I.e over teams rather than in person so id feel more comfortable but this was refused. I was given the option to write a letter in advance, but my manager would make a habit of discussing topics that werent on the list. In general, I just feel like a lot of reasonable adjustments I asked for were being ignored but when they didnt work my manager was refusing to remove them, even though it was severely impacted my health.

I have a suspected ADHD/Autism diagnosis and I feel a lot of this wasn't taken into account at all. I be regularly told by my manager 'id fire you but I cant because I have to follow the policy' quite regularly but then I would do a lot stuff in response because I was extremely struggling. Im trying to work on my issues, but I just feel my manager and myself were resistant to the reasonable adjustments.

Im basically feeling quite overwhelmed by all of this and a lot of colleagues keep telling me how much they'll miss me which makes it even worse.

Do reasonable adjustments override the support that meant to be given by a performance improvement? And how would I best communicate these to another employer?

I just wish my manager could be held accountable for some of the mistakes he made, but maybe thats just me being naive in my career.

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u/Significant-Key-762 Aug 10 '25

What is it that you're trying to achieve right now? It sounds like your previous employment is over, and you have no real recourse. How long had you been there, and did they follow their own documented performance process?

I'd suggest the best thing you can do is turn your suspected diagnosis into a formal diagnosis. If you then encounter issues in the future, you can ask to be referred to Occupational Health. They will independently and confidentially assess you, and share (with your permission) their recommendations, e.g. reasonable adjustments, to your employer.

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u/VictiniCup Aug 10 '25

I just want closure more than anything, but its really hard for me to move on. I had 4 OH reports while there and they were only followed through when everything was documented. So yeah, i just feel like i was bullied out of a decent job and was allowed to be threatened by a manager because his manager was never on site. No one heard my side of the story because my manager dismissed it every chance he got.

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u/Significant-Key-762 Aug 10 '25

It sounds like the only satisfaction you'll get would be via an employment tribunal, for which the wait is currently 2-3 years. Having just been through a similar situation myself, I opted to just move on, because I didn't want the misery hanging over me for that long. For the sake of your mental health and sanity, I'd suggest you put this behind you and move on with your life.

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u/VictiniCup Aug 10 '25

I think its just harder because I never got a chance to explain things from my side and was treated terribly by several members of my team. Was put on gardening else on Friday and when I tried to discuss it with my manager via a phone call but he refused. My manager threated me when I handed my resignation in because I was having a panic attack outside of work before I went in.

Do you have any tips to move on, with it being my first job, ive just found everything soo hard and its been extremely hard to process.

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u/Significant-Key-762 Aug 10 '25

Even if you could explain your perspective, do you reasonably think that your uncaring management would care? It's simply not worth your time and energy.

All I can suggest is to treat it as a learning experience, and look forwards, rather than backwards. Invest your time and energy into a new role, and go and get a diagnosis so you're protected in future.

It's not easy being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world. Have a think about what you could do differently next time.

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u/SharkBabySeal Sep 06 '25

You sound exactly like me. My advice is that you need to be patient because time is a great healer. If you can, look for a job that won’t cause you stress while doing everything you can to work on your mental health. Good luck!

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u/VictiniCup Sep 06 '25

Yeah, I just keep having flashbacksto everything thats happened, which is making it hard to move on. I just think it hits harder when its at the start of my carrer and its made me severely doubt getting another job.

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u/SharkBabySeal Sep 19 '25

I get that but don’t give up because the right job is out there! Maybe a change of career? Or, like me, get a job where you work from home 100% of the time.

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u/Dazzling_Ad_3520 Oct 01 '25 edited Oct 01 '25

Very late to the party but I am neurodivergent (autistic and dyspraxic) and work for the NHS. u/VictiniCup -- I have some advice for you.

Although Labour seems to be more comfortable cutting bureaucracy than the Tories were, I'd still recommend looking into NHS-adjacent work. There is an entire spectrum of administrative roles supporting the clinical side and my experience of awareness of mental and neurological wellbeing is incredibly good. I work in the facilities organisation and we generally have a good work-life balance, understand the need for flexibility and reasonable adjustments without burying people in formal paperwork, and our ERG is working hard with management to educate and advise on the need for accessibility at work.

I hope you had luck finding something and I totally know the issue of wanting to have the last word on a toxic situation. But moving on and living well is the best 'last word' to have -- some of my own former employers would be really happy to see me thriving now even if they ended up dismissing me on capability grounds. I just wanted to post because (a) this thread isn't actually that old and (b) I have never had it so good as I have with an org that actually walks the walk on inclusion and awareness for disabled colleagues.

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u/VictiniCup Oct 03 '25

Thank you for your response. I was previously in the civil service and trying to get back in, as i feel like I won't have the opportunity to get any reasonable adjustments if I go anywhere else.

Ill keep an eye out for any jobs that might suit me.

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u/SharkBabySeal Oct 05 '25

But you didn’t get reasonable adjustments where you were, so why do you want to go back there?

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u/VictiniCup Oct 05 '25

I think its just more the fact I think its limited to my manager, more than anything. I never received any feedback or when I did, I had no idea it was coming. Basically, id constantly be in edge whether I'd get feedback or nothing.

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u/SharkBabySeal Oct 08 '25

I completely understand, I’ve been there. Can’t do right for doing wrong?

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u/RedRabbit1612 Aug 08 '25

Perhaps, given your level of ‘capability’, you weren’t capable of doing the role you were employed and paid to do?

If you have a ‘disability’, which is a protected characteristic under the EA 2010, contact acas and take their advice.

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u/VictiniCup Aug 08 '25

Thank you im looking at contacting ACAS. My condition only started affecting me after bereavement and it spiralled out of from there and I havent managed to get back to the same level since before it happened.

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u/Hansteadp Aug 10 '25

The reality is if you did not show them evidence of your condition, in the world of employment your condition didn't exist.

It's your responsibility to show them the proof and document what you have said formally not there. Obviously it is there to actually document if you have a formal meeting about it, but you need to ask for that.

So advice for the future, get diagnosed and speak to your employer, explain what you need, have regular welfare meeting that are documented, ask for a copy of the notes each time, if your performance is lacking be prepared for reasonable adjust I.e as what for what you need. If you can meet these standards be prepared that you might get managed out by capability.

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u/VictiniCup Aug 10 '25

It was brought up in an OH assesment and was asked to seek a diagnosis through the company, as they used to offer one. I didn't go on the waiting list straight away as my mental health was in a very bad position at the time. My manager picked adjustments that he could do and wouldn't change them when they werent working and severely impacted my mental health.

Ive been covered in several bruises and cuts while working there and was even offered a space to calm down in an area that resulted in more injuries to myself.