Workplace Needs Assessment

Practical workplace recommendations that support employees to work effectively and sustainably.

When an employee is struggling at work, it is not always immediately clear what needs to change.

They may be managing ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, burnout, fatigue, stress or another health condition. They may be capable of doing their job, but finding the demands of the role increasingly difficult to manage.

A Workplace Needs Assessment looks beyond diagnosis.

We explore how the employee actually functions within their role, what is making work harder, what is already working well and what practical changes could make a meaningful difference.

Our assessments are completed by experienced Occupational Therapists with a specialist knowledge of mental health, neurodiversity, functional assessment and vocational rehabilitation.

What is a Workplace Needs Assessment?

A Workplace Needs Assessment is a structured assessment of the employee's needs in relation to their job and working environment.

We consider the employee, the role and the workplace together.

This may include exploring:

concentration, attention and executive functioning
organisation, planning and time management
workload and competing demands
communication and information processing
sensory needs and the working environment
fatigue, energy management and pacing
anxiety, stress and emotional regulation
routines, transitions and changes in task
working from home or hybrid working
relationships between job demands and health
current workplace adjustments and whether they are effective
barriers affecting productivity, confidence, attendance or sustainability at work

The aim is not simply to identify difficulties. It is to understand what is happening, why it is happening and what could realistically help.

Who Is It For?

A Workplace Needs Assessment may be helpful when an employee:

has ADHD, autism or another neurodivergent profile
is experiencing anxiety, depression, burnout or work-related stress
is managing fatigue or another health condition affecting work
is struggling with organisation, concentration, deadlines or workload
is finding aspects of the working environment difficult to manage
has requested workplace adjustments
has recently received a diagnosis and is unsure what support may be appropriate
is performing their role but at a significant personal cost
is beginning to struggle at work and early intervention may help prevent the situation becoming more complex

A formal diagnosis is not always necessary. Our focus is on the employee's functional needs and the demands of their role.

What Does the Assessment Involve?

Before the assessment, we gather relevant information about the employee's role and the reason for referral.

Where appropriate and with the necessary consent, we may also speak with the referring manager, HR professional or Occupational Health professional to understand the requirements of the role and any concerns that have already been identified.

The employee then completes a detailed Occupational Therapy assessment exploring their strengths, difficulties, working patterns, environment and occupational demands.

Following the assessment, we provide a clear written report with practical recommendations.

Your Workplace Needs Assessment Report

Recommendations are individual to the employee and their role.

They may include changes to working practices, communication, task management, workload organisation, environmental factors, sensory demands, routines or working patterns.

We may also recommend strategies around executive functioning, fatigue management, planning, concentration, emotional regulation or maintaining boundaries between work and recovery.

Where appropriate, the report can help the employer and employee consider reasonable workplace adjustments and provide a structured starting point for discussion.

We focus on recommendations that are specific, realistic and relevant to the actual job, rather than producing a generic list of adjustments.

An Occupational Therapy Approach

Occupational Therapists specialise in understanding the relationship between a person, the activities they need to perform and the environment in which those activities take place.

In the workplace, this means we do not look at an employee's diagnosis in isolation.

We look at questions such as:

What does this job require?

Which demands are causing difficulty?

What can the employee manage well?

Where is the mismatch between the person and the role?

What could be changed to improve performance and wellbeing?

What will help the employee sustain their role rather than simply manage in the short term?

This functional approach can be particularly valuable when the situation is not straightforward or when previous adjustments have not fully resolved the problem.

Workplace Needs Assessment Fees

Remote Workplace Needs Assessment

£495

Includes referral review, relevant pre-assessment information, Workplace Needs Assessment with the employee, appropriate employer or manager liaison and a detailed written report with recommendations.

Face-to-Face Workplace Needs Assessment

£595

Includes the assessment, workplace context where appropriate, employer or manager liaison and a detailed written report.

Travel costs may apply depending on location.

Workplace Needs Assessment Plus

£650

For employers who would like additional support implementing the recommendations.

Includes the full Workplace Needs Assessment and report, followed by a review meeting with the employee and relevant manager or HR representative to discuss recommendations, clarify priorities and agree practical next steps.

Workplace Needs Assessment or Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment?

The right assessment depends on what is happening.

A Workplace Needs Assessment is particularly useful when an employee is working but experiencing difficulties and the main question is:

"What does this employee need to help them manage their job effectively?"

A Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment is broader and may be more appropriate where there has been sickness absence, a significant deterioration in health or functioning, uncertainty about work capacity, a complex return to work or concerns about whether the current role remains sustainable.

Our Vocational Rehabilitation work considers the employee's functional ability in relation to the actual occupational demands of their job and may include return-to-work planning, graded increases in activity, rehabilitation goals and longer-term work sustainability.

If you are unsure which assessment is most appropriate, we can discuss the referral with you before an assessment is arranged.

Referrals from Employers, HR and Occupational Health

We accept referrals directly from employers, HR professionals and Occupational Health services.

We can provide Workplace Needs Assessments remotely across the UK, with face-to-face assessments available depending on location.

For organisations referring employees regularly, we are also happy to discuss an ongoing referral arrangement.

Our reports are written to address the agreed referral questions and focus on functional ability, occupational demands, barriers, strengths and practical recommendations. Where appropriate and with consent, we can liaise with HR, managers, Occupational Health, case managers and other professionals involved in the employee's support.

Discuss a Referral

If you have an employee who is struggling at work and you are unsure what support would be appropriate, contact us.

We can discuss the situation with you and advise whether a Workplace Needs Assessment, Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment, Return-to-Work Assessment or Complex Employee Case Support would be the most appropriate starting point.

We aim to respond to all employer enquiries within two working days.