Can I use reasonable adjustments as and when I need them?

Because Parkinson’s is a fluctuating condition, you may find it easier to manage your symptoms on some days more than others. If you decide to tell your employer about your condition, it may help to make sure they understand that this is a big part of life with Parkinson’s.

Depending on what you do and what your needs are, it may be possible for you to temporarily change the way you work when you are struggling. For example, you could discuss the following with your employer:

• Working from home from time to time
• Using taxis instead of public transport to take you to out-of-office meetings
• Using teleconference or video calls rather than going to meetings in person
• Temporarily changing your duties so that you concentrate on the things you can do (for example catching up on administrative tasks or desk-based work)
• Temporarily doing flexible hours to help you work around the times of day when you’re feeling less able

What are workplace adjustment agreements?

When you and your manager have agreed on some reasonable adjustments, it’s a good idea to put them in writing. This is often referred to as a ‘tailored adjustment agreement’ or ‘workplace adjustment agreement’.

The purpose of recording this agreement is to:

• make sure that you and your employer have an accurate record of what has been agreed
• make it easier to continue your reasonable adjustments if you change jobs, move to a new location in the organisation, or get a new manager
• give you and your line manager a chance to discuss your reasonable adjustments at any future meetings, such as your regular catchups or one to ones. (You should regularly review your adjustments with your manager to make sure they are still working and to agree and make any necessary changes)