Are you doing enough to provide your employees with 'reasonable adjustments' to be able to perform at their best? In this webinar learn from BT Group and AbilityNet about how to ensure you're providing (and receiving) reasonable adjustments in the workplace, particularly in light of Covid-19 and its effect on disabled employees. You'll also find out about some of the assistive technology that can help in the workplace. Find out more at: https://abilitynet.org.uk/webinars/employee-support-and-adjustments-age-covid

1. Employee support and adjustments in the age of Covid | 26 April 2022
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Employee support and adjustments
in the age of Covid
Mairéad Comerford, AbilityNet
Adam Tweed, AbilityNet
Lina Chauhan, BT
Annie Mannion, AbilityNet (host)
26th April 2022

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Welcome

3. Employee support and adjustments in the age of Covid | 26 April 2022
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“We support people of any age,
living with any disability or
impairment, to use technology
to achieve their goals at home,
at work and in education.”
AbilityNet: A Digital World Accessible to All

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• Mairéad Comerford, Head of HR, AbilityNet and Adam Tweed, Innovation
Consultant for Education and Workplace, AbilityNet:
Reasonable adjustments in the workplace during Covid-19, plus assistive
technology that can help
• Lina Chauhan, Group Ergonomic, Musculoskeletal and Wellbeing
Specialist, BT Group:
BT's workstation focus and working from home at the start of the pandemic
• Q&A
Today’s session

5. Employee support and adjustments in the age of Covid | 26 April 2022
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• None at all, I'm looking forward to learning more
• I have requested/received reasonable adjustments
• I help arrange reasonable adjustments for colleagues
• I am trying to improve reasonable adjustments at my organisation
Poll. What is your experience of reasonable adjustments?

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Covid and Reasonable Adjustments
Mairéad Comerford and Adam Tweed, AbilityNet

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What are Reasonable Adjustments?
Remove/Reduce a disadvantage:
• an employee's disability when doing their job
• a job applicant's disability when applying for a job
Changes: workplace; equipment/services provided;
providing information in an accessible format
When: recruitment; in their job role; sick
absence/delayed return to work
Reasonable: dependent on each situation-
remove/reduce disadvantage, practical, affordable,
health & safety

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Tips & Considerations
• Talking about disability at work
• Follow an orderly process
• Recruitment
• Using the right language
• Confidentiality
• Sharing experience with others
• Use of tools
• Access to Work
Clear Talents At Work/On Demand
Access to Work Factsheet

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Reasonable Adjustments
Adam Tweed
Innovation Consultant
(Education & Workplace)

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Cruise Control
Ralph Teetor

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What is Assistive Technology?
“The phrase ‘Assistive Technology’ is often used to describe products or
systems that support and assist individuals with disabilities, restricted mobility
or other impairments to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or
impossible.”
- Gov.uk

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“But nobody here is disabled…”
https://www.microsoft.com/design/inclusive/

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Live demos!!

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Any Questions?

15. Health Safety & Wellbeing CoE
Display Screen Assessment
Lina Chauhan MSc MCSP HCPC
Ergonomic, Musculoskeletal & Wellbeing Specialist
General. Version 1. Health, Safety & Wellbeing CoE.

16. Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
Risk around MSK health in the workplace managed by DSE Assessment
General. Version 1. Health, Safety & Wellbeing CoE.
DSE self-assessment
Evidence led new DSE self-assessment that goes beyond
regulatory requirements with a broader health and
wellbeing overlay.
Additional considerations
• Prolonged sitting / sedentary behaviour
• Physical inactivity
• Poor ergonomics and workstation set-up
• Social isolation
• Stress
The workplace
DSE and ill-health
MSDs

17. General. Version 1. Health, Safety & Wellbeing CoE.
Increasing levels of physical inactivitylinked to prevalence of
NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer and
their risk factors such as raised blood pressure, raised blood
sugar levels and being overweight.
Musculoskeletal health in the workplace

18. MSK-related symptoms
• 73% respondents reported one or more MSK-related
symptoms
• 47% neck pain
• 39% shoulder pain
• 37% back pain
• Over half of respondents reported head and / or eye
symptoms
• Women > men
• 82% took no time off-work
• Most frequent absences were for headaches > back pain >
neck pain
• Higher prevalence of MSD symptoms with increased computer
time at work
Occurrence of anxiety, depression and distress
• Younger respondents
• >5 hours over contracted hours each week
• Anxiety – women > men
• Distress more common among those who worked more than
one hour without a break
• Anxiety and depression more common for those who spend
longer per week at the computer
General. Version 1. Health, Safety & Wellbeing CoE.
The Health and Safety Executive
Better DSE work-related ill health data Large scale survey in 2007
1,327 DSE users in organisation of different sizes and
sectors geographically spread across UK
12-month prevalence

19. General. Version 1. Health, Safety & Wellbeing CoE.
Telework and health risks in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from the field and policy implications
Research focusing on work-related MSDs
• Qualitative study 2018 - 2021
• Emerging evidence:
• Psychological risks related to intense virtual
communication
• High prevalence of self-reported MSDs linked to
sedentarism, poor ergonomic conditions,
working long hours and work-related stress.
EU-OSHA

20. General. Version 1. Health, Safety & Wellbeing CoE.
Napo Video
www.napofilm.net/en/learning-with-
napo/napo-in-the-workplace/check-
your-posture

21. Leesman
Measure Remote Working, Understanding Remote Working and Employee Experience 2020
Homeworking set-up:
• 37% had a dedicated work room or
office
• 33% had a dedicated work area (but
not separate room)
• 27% had a non-specific home location
(e.g. a dining table)
• ‘My home environment enables me to work productively’ – 22.6%
• ‘The physical settings I use when working from home are suitable for the work I do’ – 31.9%
• ‘When I work from home, I am able to maintain a healthy work-life balance’ – 17.1%
• ‘When I work from home, I feel connected to my colleagues’ – 18.4%
General. Version 1. Health, Safety & Wellbeing CoE.
H-Lmi – 79.8 – highest for dedicated
work room or office
H-Lmi – 68.1 – lowest for non-specific
location

22. DSE self-assessment
Risk management in the workplace
• Legal requirement:
o To comply with the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment)
Regulations 1992
o Record of compliance
• Goes beyond regulatory aspects – health & wellbeing overlay based on
evidence (MSK, work/life balance, etc)
• Guidance throughout / videos on workstation and chair set-up
• Integrated from user perspective – ordering standard equipment, resources
on your wellbeing
• Links to STREAM (stress management tool)
• Aligns with recent paper published by EU-OSHA
• TBWP H&W research project will provide feedback / evaluation
General. Version 1. Health, Safety & Wellbeing CoE.

23. References:
1. Bruno R. da Costa & Edgar Ramos Viera, 2010, Risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders: A
systematic review of recent longitudinal studies, American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Vol. 53, pp.
285-323.
2. Buckley. J.P., Hedge, A., Yates, T., Copeland, R.J., Loosemore,M., Hamer, M., Bradley, G. & Dunstan, D.W.,
2015. The sedentary office: a growing case for change towards better health and productivity. Expert
statement commissioned by Public Health England and The Active Working Community Interest
Company.
3. HSE – Better DSE work-related ill health data: prepared by the Institute of Occupational Medicine 2007.
4. HSE - Health and safety at work: summary statistics for Great Britain 2019.
5. Leesman, 2020, The Leesman Review, Issue 29.
6. Leesman, 2020, Measure Remote Working, Understanding Remote Working and Employee Experience.
7. Savills, British Council for Offices, what workers want 2016.
8. Savills, Savills Research, what workers want: Europe 2019.
9. Musculoskeletal disorders and telework - OSHWiki
General. Version 1. Health, Safety & Wellbeing CoE.

24. General. Version 1. Health, Safety & Wellbeing CoE.
Complete your DSE self-assessment form
Follow any guidance prompted by the self-assessment
Risks have been identified
Discuss your self-assessment with your line manager and implement any
adjustments / actions to mitigate risks identified
Risks remain
Issues remain with your work environment and / or you are experiencing
symptoms (aches or pains)
Further advice and support is required
Ergonomic Assessment
Refer case to Praxis 42 (Safety Consultancy) for assessment and
guidance
1
2
3
4
5
6
Risks or issues have been resolved
Additional support can be accessed via
the Physiotherapy Service.
If issues remain or symptoms appear to be ongoing and
persistent and / or you have not been able to implement
appropriate/reasonable adjustments – your line manger will
review your case with HR.
No risks or issues have been identified
Work capability issues / complex cases
Long standing conditions greater than 12 months or disability
may require bespoke tailored workplace adjustments – refer via
the Enable process
You have discussed the assessment report with your line manager and
implemented recommended adjustments. Risks or issues have been
resolved.
DSE self assessment form

25. © BritishTelecommunications plc

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Q&A
Please use the Q&A window
You’ll be directed to a feedback form at the end of the broadcast
Slides, transcripts and a recording of this webinar will be shared
via follow up email

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Accessibility and inclusion training courses
10% discount code: AbilityNetWebinar10 www.abilitynet.org.uk/training
Group bookings available
• Thurs 28 April Understanding accessibility evaluations and testing results
• Wed 4 May Don’t Disable Me: Mental health barriers digital disability
awareness (with Adam Tweed)
• Thurs 5 May Accessibility for designers
• Wed 11 May Visual barriers digital disability awareness (with Adi Latif)
• Wed 11 May How to use a screen reader for accessibility testing

28. Employee support and adjustments in the age of Covid | 26 April 2022
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Thank you
• AbilityNet newsletter: www.abilitynet.org.uk/newsletter
• Next free webinars: www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars
• How to bring empathy into your workplace, Tuesday 24 May –
register soon at www.abilitynet.org.uk/Empathy-webinar