MPs name for two-week deadline for disabled staff
The influential Work and Pensions Committee has warned disabled employees still face a “hostile environment” at work
A cross-party group of MPs said employers should face a legal deadline(Image: Natalia Lebedinskaia via Getty Images)
Bosses could be forced to respond to disabled workers’ requests for support within two weeks under proposals from MPs amid warnings that too many staff are being “pushed out or locked out” of jobs.
A cross-party group of MPs said employers should face a legal deadline to deal with requests for reasonable adjustments – such as flexible working or workplace adaptations – and be required to give written explanations if they refuse. The call came from the influential Work and Pensions Committee, which warned disabled employees still face a “hostile environment” at work despite legal protections already being in place.
Its report found that as many as 82% of requests for reasonable adjustments took more than four months to implement, while some workers were left waiting a year.
The MPs said the current system was failing millions of disabled people, with the employment rate for disabled people standing at just 52.8%, compared with 82.5% for non-disabled workers. The overall employment rate for 16 to 64-year-olds is 75%.
The committee said ministers should mirror rules already used for flexible working requests by imposing a two-week response deadline on employers.
‘Rights are respected’
Committee chair Debbie Abrahams said too many disabled workers were being let down by employers failing to act quickly enough.
She said: “A major reason disabled people are much less likely to be in work or stay in work is the lack of accessibility of workplaces; something many of us take for granted. Although there is a legal duty to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled workers, in too many cases this isn’t happening.”
Ms Abrahams added: “We have proposed two weeks in line with the Employment Rights Act which requires a response to flexible working requests within the same timeframe. We believe this will give disabled people confidence that their rights are respected and force proper engagement from reluctant employers.”
The report said inaccessible workplaces were leaving many disabled people heavily reliant on special adjustments in the first place. Flexible working arrangements were singled out as one of the most valuable forms of support, helping staff attend medical appointments and manage fluctuating health conditions.
Disability employment gap ‘stalled’
The committee warned progress in narrowing the disability employment gap has stalled since the pandemic. It found disabled people are still 1.56 times less likely to be in work than non-disabled people, while 10.1% of disabled workers leave employment each year compared with 4.6% of non-disabled employees.
MPs also highlighted concerns among small firms, which they described as the “backbone of UK employment”. Many smaller businesses told the inquiry they lacked awareness, guidance and financial support to make workplaces more accessible.
The committee backed proposals for a new Workplace Health Provision scheme recommended by Sir Charlie Mayfield in his Keep Britain Working review, but warned firms remained sceptical about how it would operate and who would pay for it.
Instead of forcing all employers to contribute equally, MPs urged ministers to explore alternatives “at least until the benefits have been realised”. The report also called for a nationwide multimedia campaign to raise awareness of disabled workers’ rights and proposed a new duty requiring employers to inform all staff about the support available to them.
