Changing your work tasks
Some employers will be open to changing or modifying the tasks in the workplace to best suit your skills, support needs and capabilities. Your employer may consider swapping some of your tasks with a co-worker’s duties. Swapping tasks is generally done to allow you to perform better in your job and benefit the organisation as a whole.
Examples of how tasks can be changed
- exchanging telephone duties for filing duties if you have a hearing impairment
- swapping frequent lifting and carrying tasks for increased desk duties if you have a back injury
- trading complex problem-solving tasks with duties involving attention to detail if you have a mild intellectual disability.
Your current position, or one you are applying for, may include some duties that you are unable to complete properly due to your disability. You may already be aware of some tasks you could take over from a co-worker. You may have some other ideas about how you could take on suitable duties. Speak with your employer (or prospective employer) about possibly swapping some tasks. If you don’t feel confident approaching your employer alone, ask to have someone support you during the discussions. This could be a work colleague or your provider of Disability Employment Services.
If you work for a larger company or organisation, staff in the human resources department may be able to support you in discussions about changing your work tasks.
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