Setting up suitable work tasks

Sometimes, you may need to adjust a role’s tasks. Do this to best suit an employee’s abilities, skills and needs. Making these types of changes may help improve their productivity and safety.

How can I change or adjust tasks?

One way to change or adjust tasks is to swap an employee’s task that they find difficult with another employee. For example, you could swap:

• telephone tasks for filing tasks if your employee has a hearing impairment
• lifting and carrying tasks for desk tasks if your employee has a back injury
• complex problem-solving tasks for detail-oriented tasks if your employee has a mild intellectual disability.

Find examples of other adjustments you can make for employees with different types of disability.

How to work out what changes to make

Your employee might point out some tasks that don’t suit them or that they can’t do. Employees may also be able to provide suggestions on task swap. If your employees are confident and skilled, they will be more productive. This will benefit your organisation.

If your employee has a Disability Employment Services provider, they might help. They can assist in setting up and re-arranging tasks to suit your employee.