Rights at work
Deaf young people have the right to the same opportunities as someone who is not deaf.
Everyone has the right to be treated fairly at work, whether you’re applying for a job, currently working or want a promotion. This includes people with any type of hearing loss or level of deafness.
The Law
Lots of people do not consider deafness to be a disability. However, even if you do not consider deafness to be a disability, deaf people are protected by the laws in place that provide important legal rights for disabled people.
These laws are different across the UK. In England, Scotland and Wales, it is the Equality Act 2010 (GOV.UK). In Northern Ireland, it's the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (NI Direct). These laws protect disabled people at work. Under these laws, employers cannot treat you unfairly because you’re deaf. They must also make reasonable adjustments to support you to work.
Reasonable adjustments
Employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments. Reasonable adjustments are often simple or inexpensive changes an employer can make. In a workplace these may be changes to the work environment or practices.
Reasonable adjustments make sure that deaf people have access to the same opportunities. They should also make sure that you're not placed at a disadvantage because of your deafness.
What may be ‘reasonable’ depends on your needs, the job you’re doing, and the employer. Here are some common reasonable adjustments for deaf people at work:
- deaf awareness training for colleagues
- regular breaks in meetings to avoid concentration fatigue
- sending messages through emails or text instead of phone calls
- colleagues learning some sign language if that’s what you use
- guidance on communication support, such as booking meetings and training well in advance. Agendas or materials should be provided beforehand.
In some cases, you may need extra support or expensive equipment. These may not be ‘reasonable’ for your employer to provide. A small business might not be able to afford to improve the acoustics in their building. However, a bigger company might.
If the support or equipment you need is not ‘reasonable’, you may qualify for Access to Work funding. Access to Work can be used to pay for things like:
- British Sign Language (BSL) or Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreters
- note takers
- specialist equipment.
Access to Work can help you and your employer understand what reasonable adjustments may help you.
If your employer fails to make reasonable adjustments, this is discrimination.
Discrimination
Discrimination is when you are treated less favourably because of your deafness. Examples of discrimination in the workplace include:
- being turned down for a job because you’re deaf. If you think this has happened to you, see our information on applying for a job for advice
- not being included in training because you're deaf
- not having the same promotion opportunities as your colleagues because of your deafness
- your employer failing to make reasonable adjustments.
If you think you’ve been discriminated against, contact our Helpline. You can also contact one of the following:
- Equality Advisory and Support Service (England, Scotland, Wales)
- Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
Telling an employer you're deaf
Employers aren’t usually allowed to ask questions about health conditions or disabilities.
You do not have to tell an employer you’re deaf when you apply for a job. However, you may need adjustments for the recruitment or interview process. Unless an employer knows about your deafness and the support you might need, they will not be able to help. This could put you at a significant disadvantage to hearing applicants or colleagues.
Visit our page about getting a job for more information about informing an employer that you’re deaf.
Workplace harassment
It’s against the law to bully or harass someone because of a disability, including deafness. Harassment includes any unwanted behaviour that makes you feel intimidated or offended.
Examples of harassment at work might include:
- whispering so you cannot hear conversations on purpose
- taking or removing your hearing technology without your permission
- making offensive comments or jokes about your deafness.
ACAS has more information about bullying and harassment at work (ACAS).
Employers are responsible for preventing bullying and harassment. They should have a policy on how to recognise, deal with and prevent it. If you’re experiencing harassment at work, you should talk to your manager or human resources (HR) department. If you are a member of a trade union or your employer has recognised a union, you can talk to a union representative.
If this doesn’t work, you can make a formal complaint using your employer’s grievance procedure, if they have one.
If you're still experiencing harassment, you can take legal action. In England, Scotland and Wales, this will be at an employment tribunal (GOV.UK). In Northern Ireland, this will be at the Office of Industrial Tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal.
If you’re experiencing harassment at work, contact our Helpline.
Health and safety rights at work
Health and safety legislation shouldn’t prevent you from getting or staying in a job. Employers are responsible for ensuring your health and safety. They should make reasonable adjustments if necessary. They’re not allowed to use health and safety as an excuse to discriminate against you.
Talk to your employer about any health or safety concerns you have. They should conduct regular risk assessments to understand and manage health and safety risks to all employees. This may be a good time to let them know if they need to make adjustments for your deafness.
Examples of reasonable adjustments employers could make for health and safety might include:
- installing flashing fire alarms along with a pager system
- making sure health and safety training is accessible. This depends on your communication preferences. It may include providing communication support or making sure safety videos have subtitles
- creating a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP). A PEEP details the help you need to evacuate a building and reach a place of safety
- agreeing accessible contact methods for lone workers.
For more information on health and safety at work, see:
- Health and safety for disabled workers (England, Scotland and Wales)
- Health and safety responsibility at work (Northern Ireland)
Full references for this webpage are available by emailing
informationteam@ndcs.org.uk