Workplace Adjustments Passport: Implementation Guide for Employers

What Is a Workplace Adjustments Passport?

A Workplace Adjustments Passport (also called a "Disability Passport" or "Support Passport") is a voluntary, employee-owned document that records:

• The employee's needs in the workplace
• The adjustments and support that have been agreed
• The date those adjustments were agreed and by whom
• Any planned reviews

It is not a medical record and does not require clinical detail. The passport records what adjustments are needed and agreed — not why.

Why Passports Work

The most common reason reasonable adjustments break down is a change of manager. When a line manager moves on, the new manager may:

• Be unaware of existing adjustments
• Question whether they are still needed
• Inadvertently apply policies that conflict with the adjustments (e.g., rigid attendance management)

A passport solves this by creating a portable, transferable record.

Evidence Base

• Business Disability Forum (2023): 78% of disabled employees say re-explaining needs to a new manager is one of their top workplace stressors.
• Civil Service: Since implementing passports in 2020, grievances related to adjustments being withdrawn after manager changes dropped by 34%.
• NHS People Plan: All NHS trusts are now required to offer Workplace Adjustment Passports to employees with long-term health conditions.

What a Passport Contains

A good passport template covers six sections:

Section 1: Employee Details

• Name, job title, team
• Contact preferences (useful for neurodivergent employees who prefer written communication)

Section 2: My Needs

A plain-language description of workplace needs — not diagnosis, not medical language. Examples:

• "I need written rather than verbal instructions for complex tasks"
• "I need to work from home on high-concentration days"
• "I need a quiet workspace away from the main office floor"
• "I need regular check-ins to manage anxiety around deadlines"

Section 3: Agreed Adjustments

A specific list of what has been agreed, e.g.:

• Flexible start time (8:00–9:30am instead of fixed 9am)
• Remote work 3 days/week
• Written meeting agendas sent 24 hours in advance
• Noise-cancelling headphones (employer-funded)

Section 4: Equipment and Technology

List of any specialist equipment or software in use (important for IT onboarding when the employee changes roles).

Section 5: Agreed Review Date

Adjustments should be reviewed (not removed — reviewed) at regular intervals. Annually is standard; after a role change, within 6 weeks.

Section 6: Signatures

Employee and manager sign to confirm agreement. This creates accountability without being onerous.

How to Implement a Passport Scheme

Step 1: Design Your Template

Keep it to one page (front and back). Avoid medical jargon. Make it employee-led — the employee fills it in, the manager countersigns.

Use BDF's free passport template (businessdisabilityforum.org.uk) or the Civil Service passport as a starting point. Adapt language to your organisation.

Step 2: Train Line Managers

A 30-minute briefing covering:

• What a passport is (and what it isn't — it's not a performance management tool)
• How to handle a request to complete one
• What to do when inheriting a direct report with a passport

Step 3: Communicate to Employees

Frame it positively: "This is your document, and it travels with you." Avoid framing it as a bureaucratic requirement.

Channels: intranet, onboarding materials, disability ERG, line manager briefings.

Step 4: Store It Securely

The passport is a personal document. It should be:

• Stored in the employee's HR file (accessible to HR and the employee only — not in a shared team drive)
• Not disclosed to new managers without employee consent (the employee should share it with their new manager themselves)

Step 5: Monitor Take-Up

Track the number of passports in use (anonymised, aggregate). If fewer than 5% of your workforce has one, awareness is the bottleneck; if passports are created but adjustments still break down, manager training needs refreshing.

Template: Workplace Adjustments Passport (Summary)

WORKPLACE ADJUSTMENTS PASSPORT

Employee name: ________________________
Job title: _____________________________
Date completed: _______________________

MY NEEDS (in my own words):
[Employee completes — plain language, no medical detail required]

AGREED ADJUSTMENTS:
1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
3. ___________________________________

EQUIPMENT / SOFTWARE IN USE:
___________________________________

AGREED REVIEW DATE: _______________

Employee signature: ___________________
Line manager signature: ________________
HR reference: _________________________

Legal Context

A Workplace Adjustments Passport is a good practice tool, not a legal requirement. However, it provides documentary evidence that:

• The employer fulfilled its duty to make reasonable adjustments
• The employee consented to the adjustments
• A review process is in place

This evidence is valuable if a dispute reaches an Employment Tribunal.

Sources: Business Disability Forum Passport Guidance (2023), Civil Service Workplace Adjustment Passport Scheme, NHS People Plan 2020/21, ACAS Reasonable Adjustments at Work Guide