Occupational Therapy Workplace Needs Assessments for employees and employers in Ireland. This includes assessments funded under the Work and Access scheme.
Sometimes the way a job, workplace or working environment is set up can create unnecessary barriers. A Workplace Needs Assessment considers what is working well, where difficulties are arising, and what practical changes could help an employee work more effectively and sustainably.
At Way Ahead Therapy, our Occupational Therapists take a whole-person approach. We look at the fit between the person, their job and their working environment. As a result we focus on practical solutions rather than diagnosis alone.
Workplace Needs Assessments can be helpful for employees with:
- ADHD
- Autism-related challenges
- Mental health difficulties
- Fatigue
- Physical or sensory needs
- Long-term health conditions
- Other difficulties that affect their experience of work.
What does a Workplace Needs Assessment involve?
The assessment explores the employee’s role, the demands of their work and any barriers they are experiencing. Depending on the situation, this may include discussion with the employee and employer, review of the job role and workplace, and observation of relevant tasks or the working environment.
For example, we may look at areas such as:
- workload, organisation and time management
- attention, memory and executive functioning
- sensory needs, noise, lighting and distractions
- fatigue, stress and energy management
- communication and meetings
- workstation or physical environment
- working patterns, breaks and flexibility
- assistive technology or specialist equipment
- support from managers or colleagues
Following the assessment, we provide a written report outlining the barriers identified and practical recommendations.
What might be recommended?
Every assessment is individual. Recommendations might include
- reasonable workplace accommodations
- changes to how work is organised or communicated
- environmental adaptations
- assistive technology or equipment
- strategies for managing workload and energy
- additional in-work support.
The aim is to find realistic, proportionate solutions that help the employee carry out their role and support sustainable participation in work.
For employees
A Workplace Needs Assessment can help you understand why certain aspects of work are difficult and identify practical supports that may make a meaningful difference.
It can also give you a clearer way of communicating your needs to your employer. This means that ather than simply saying that you are struggling, the assessment identifies specific workplace barriers and provides practical recommendations for addressing them.
You do not need to have all the answers before coming for an assessment. Our role is to explore what is happening with you and identify what may help.
For employers
Supporting an employee does not always require major changes. Indeed, there are many benefits to being a neurodivergent workplace.
A Workplace Needs Assessment can help employers understand an employee’s functional needs and identify appropriate, practical workplace accommodations. It provides an independent Occupational Therapy perspective and clear recommendations that can support conversations between the employee, manager, HR and occupational health services where appropriate.
Effective accommodations can help employees remain productive, manage their health at work, return successfully following an absence and remain in employment.
Work and Access Funding
The Department of Social Protection’s Work and Access scheme provides financial supports designed to reduce or remove workplace barriers experienced by people with disabilities.
Eligible employers may be able to access a Workplace Needs Assessment Grant of up to €2,500 towards the cost of an assessment by an Occupational Therapist.
The wider Work and Access scheme may also provide funding towards recommended supports such as workplace equipment, workplace adaptations and in-work support, subject to eligibility and approval by the Department of Social Protection.
Applications for grant-funded Workplace Needs Assessments should be made through the Work and Access scheme before the assessment is undertaken.
Arrange a Workplace Needs Assessment
If you are an employee wondering what support might help you at work, or an employer seeking guidance about how best to support a member of your team, we would be happy to discuss whether a Workplace Needs Assessment is appropriate.