Ask in writing: name the noise barrier, the disadvantage it causes, and the fix you need – a quieter desk, a low-traffic spot, or noise-cancelling headphones. Under the Equality Act 2010 your employer must consider it. Putting it in writing turns an informal request that a manager can wave away into a reasonable-adjustment request they have a legal duty to weigh up.
Write the request as three sentences
The wording that does the work names three things, in order: the barrier, the disadvantage, and the adjustment. For example:
- The barrier: "The open-plan noise and movement around my desk overload me by mid-morning."
- The disadvantage: "Because of my sensory sensitivity this puts me at a substantial disadvantage compared with colleagues who aren't affected – I lose focus and tire far faster."
- The adjustment: "I'm asking for a fixed desk in a quieter, low-traffic area, or noise-cancelling headphones, as a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010."
That phrase – substantial disadvantage, meaning more than minor or trivial – is the load-bearing one. It is the legal test in the Act (section 20), and it is what shifts your ask from a personal preference your manager can decline into a duty they must consider.
Disclosure is what switches the duty on
Your employer's duty only starts once they know, or could reasonably be expected to know, that you are disabled. So the request has to say why you need the change, not just what you want. You do not need a formal diagnosis: the Act's definition of disability turns on having a long-term condition with a substantial adverse effect on everyday activities, not on a piece of paper. Disclosing the impact – and ideally the condition – is what activates the duty. If your manager hasn't connected your sensory needs to a disability, spell it out.
What your employer must do next
There is no set form for the request – you can ask in writing, in a meeting, or through a formal process. Once you ask, your employer should arrange a meeting, listen, not make assumptions about what you need, and then confirm any agreed adjustment in writing. Get that confirmation: it is your record that the adjustment was agreed. This is the route Acas sets out for handling a request.
If cost is raised, or you are brushed off
The Equality Act says you cannot be charged for an adjustment – the employer pays. If cost is the objection, point to Access to Work, a government scheme that can fund workplace equipment such as noise-cancelling headphones, up to a maximum grant of £69,260 for the 2026–27 year. Be realistic about timing: the scheme has a long backlog – recent figures put employed-applicant waits at around 37 weeks – so it is a funding route, not a quick fix.
If you have already raised it and been ignored, repeat the request in writing in the barrier-disadvantage-adjustment form above and keep the thread. A refusal to make a reasonable adjustment is itself a form of disability discrimination under the Act. If it still stalls, you can raise a formal grievance, contact Acas for free advice, and ultimately bring a claim to an employment tribunal.
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.