Your duty
In many countries, equality law requires employers to make reasonable adjustments, sometimes called reasonable accommodations, to remove the disadvantages that disabled workers and job applicants face. Examples include the Equality Act 2010 in Great Britain, the Employment Equality Directive across the EU, and the Americans with Disabilities Act in the United States. Many neurodivergent people are covered. Which laws apply to a seafarer can depend on the ship’s flag and where you are based: see your rights at work.
The duty applies once you know, or could reasonably be expected to know, that someone is disabled. A formal diagnosis isn’t required. If someone is struggling and you suspect a neurodivergent condition may be involved, it’s good practice to ask, sensitively and privately, whether anything would help.
What’s “reasonable”?
Whether an adjustment is reasonable depends on:
- how effective it would be in removing the disadvantage
- how practical it is
- its cost, and your organisation’s size and resources
- whether outside funding is available: see funding for support at work
You can’t charge the employee for an adjustment.
- Nothing
- the cost of many of the most effective adjustments
- 1 conversation
- is usually all it takes to find out what helps
Getting it right
Talk
Meet privately. Ask what they find difficult and what would help. They usually know.
Agree
Agree specific adjustments, who will put each one in place, and by when.
Record
Write it down in an adjustments passport, with their consent, so it follows them between ships, Masters and managers.
Review
Check in after a few weeks, and regularly after that. Needs and roles change.
Keep it confidential
Don't share someone's diagnosis without explicit consent. Colleagues only need to know about adjustments that affect them.
Adjustments on board and ashore
Communication and information
- Written instructions alongside verbal ones
- Large tasks broken into clear steps
- Checklists, visual prompts and labelled storage
- Regular short check-ins and clear feedback
- One-to-one training where possible
- Extra time for exams and paperwork
Environment and routine
- Noise-reducing ear defenders or headphones where safe
- A quieter workspace or cabin location
- Notice of changes to rotations and plans
- Flexibility over social and team events
- A named advocate or mentor
- Assistive technology
Seagoing adjustments
- Consistency. Where possible, keep the person on the same ship or with the same crew. If they must move, give as much notice as possible.
- Joining information. Clear, detailed joining instructions: travel, agent, the ship, cabin arrangements, watch pattern, and who to report to.
- Comfort items. An extra baggage allowance for items such as a weighted blanket can reduce anxiety and sensory overload.
- Closed-loop communication for orders and handovers.
- Watch patterns. Consider which watches suit the person best. For example, some people with ADHD find long, low-stimulation night watches particularly hard.
- Crew awareness. Make sure crews have had neurodiversity awareness training, and are clear that discrimination and harassment won’t be tolerated.
Shore-based adjustments
- a quieter workspace, away from busy areas and printers
- flexible start and finish times to avoid rush-hour travel
- remote working on particularly busy days
- a quiet place to take breaks
- large or extra screens to reduce memory load
- clear instructions for what to do when things go wrong, such as equipment failures
- meeting agendas in advance and written summaries afterwards
Explaining adjustments to the team
Other staff may ask why a colleague wears headphones or gets extra time. Don’t share personal details. Explain that you support everyone to do their best work, and that anyone can ask about adjustments. Neurodiversity awareness training for the whole team prevents most of these questions before they start.