Something I frequently come up against in my work is that Reasonable Adjustments/Workplace Adjustments (and any one of the other plethora of terms we use for these things) are in fact too expensive to make. Leaving aside the fact that expense is unlikely to be a good enough excuse to mass muster at an employment tribunal, there are plenty of adjustments you can make that won’t cost you a thing.
Here are five adjustments you can make for the grand old cost of free 99.
Clearly communicating your working style
The only thing you need for this is time and some sort of template – there are a few out there but as a guide here are some of the things I share:
- Ways to communicate with me:
- If you need a quick/urgent response, send me a message via instant messaging (Teams/Slack whatever your organisation uses)
- If it can wait but you need a response by a set date, send me an email and pop in the subject line the date you need a response by
- If it’s too complicated to explain via email, book in a video call to go over it
- Availability: I’m typically available from 10:00AM to 6:00PM
- Focus: I am easily distractable and need quiet to work – if I’m wearing headphones I’m trying to concentrate, please don’t disturb me – send a teams message instead
- How I communicate: I communicate directly and honestly – if I’m asking you to explain something, I genuinely want to understand.
- Feedback: Feedback is great, but works best for me when it’s specific and actionable. Eg. Your presentation was great, but next time please double check colour contrast as a few images weren’t accessible.
- Instructions: Verbal instructions will not stick in my head, please follow up with written ones or allow me time to write down and reflect to ensure we’re on the same page.
- I struggle with: Last minute changes and ambiguity
Doing something like this is a useful exercise because it can get you thinking about your own preferences and what happens when those things clash with someone else’s. It also makes implicit expectations explicit, removing guesswork and anxiety.
You can add or tweak whatever you end up using, but think about what people need to know about working with you. How do you work best? How do they work best? How can you work together? This is a great exercise for managers and teams alike, but it’s worth inviting people to share rather than forcing them. In my experience, people respond better to an invitation rather than a demand.
And be sure to update and revisit this document frequently – after all, styles and needs can (and do) change over time!
Use your Email Subject Lines to Communicate Important information
Most of us have inboxes that experience a near constant deluge of emails and that quickly gets overwhelming. This is doubly true if we’ve been off for a period – whether due to illness or for a holiday – and come back to an overflowing inbox with no idea where to start.
You can remove a lot of this stress by getting creative with your email subject.
Instead of “Committee minutes” you can write something like: “For information only, response not needed: Committee Minutes”. Instantly I know that all I need to do is read it and that helps me prioritise it accordingly.
I tend to format things with whether a response is needed, when it is needed by and what the email relates to. If a response isn’t needed, I’ll say it. If all I need is an emoji react to confirm they’ve read and understood, I’ll say that too.
Meeting Agendas Provided in Advance
This do not have to be incredibly detailed, sometimes it may be appropriate to have a rough agenda that covers the topics you want to go over and the order you’ll go over them. Especially if you’ve got a more informal meeting planned.
However, other times, it’s worth being more concrete about the agenda, especially if you’ve got a lot to discuss. If you need people to read or engage with things before the meeting, make sure you allow plenty of time for people to do so and that materials are provided in an accessible format.
Flexible start and finish times
While we do have to balance the needs of the business, there is often a degree of flexibility we can have with start and finish times. Sometimes, just having 15 minutes makes a world of difference to people, especially if you’re adjusting to new medication, have had a rubbish sleep or are just having a low energy day.
Try and make systems as light touch as possible – it makes everyone’s life easier. Flexibility goes both ways – if you give someone flexibility they are more likely to be willing to be flexible if you need them to be.
Write things down
I have the memory of a goldfish, and when someone is delivering instructions verbally, no matter how hard I try, I will probably forget at least 60% of it (and that’s on a good day). Having things written down gives me something to refer to so that I know what we’ve agreed and what the next steps are.
It’s also great because when we write things down and then confirm with each other, we’re adding a layer of accountability. It gives us the opportunity to clarify if something has been misunderstood and it gives us a way to follow up if something has been missed.
Conclusion
Making your workplace inclusive doesn’t have to cost the sun and the moon – often, you can make changes that will cost you nothing and will have a big impact.
Many of the changes we’ve discussed in this post are great for disabled and non-disabled people alike. Who wouldn’t want an easier way to deal with a nightmare inbox? Who doesn’t like a little more clarity?
What adjustments have you tried? Feel free to share in the comments.
If you’re looking to create a more inclusive workplace but have no idea where to start – I can help. You can contact me via our website, book in a free call or drop me an email at info@SimplyEquality.com.