Workplace Adaptation Request Spain (Solicitud de Adaptación del Puesto de Trabajo)

A Workplace Adaptation Request Spain (Solicitud de Adaptación del Puesto de Trabajo) is the formal written request submitted by a worker to their employer seeking modification of their work post, working conditions, schedule, or physical environment to accommodate a health condition, disability (discapacidad), or special sensitivity, under the protective framework of Article 25 of the Ley de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales (LPRL, Ley 31/1995, de 8 de noviembre), which requires employers to take particular account of workers who, by reason of their personal characteristics or known biological state, including persons with recognised disabilities and pregnant workers, are especially sensitive to the risks derived from the work.

Article 25 LPRL creates a positive obligation on the employer (empresario) — not merely a passive duty of non-discrimination — to conduct a specific risk assessment (evaluación de riesgos específica) for sensitive workers (trabajadores especialmente sensibles) and to implement protective measures including adaptation of the work post (adaptación del puesto de trabajo), change of work post, reduction of exposure to identified risks, or, as a last resort, temporary suspension of the employment contract under Article 45.1(c) of the Estatuto de los Trabajadores (ET, RDL 2/2015).

The framework for workers with disabilities is further developed by Real Decreto Legislativo 1/2013, de 29 de noviembre, por el que se aprueba el Texto Refundido de la Ley General de derechos de las personas con discapacidad y de su inclusión social (LGDPD), which implements the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in Spain. Article 40 LGDPD requires employers to adopt reasonable adjustments (ajustes razonables) to accommodate workers with disabilities, and Article 63 LGDPD defines failure to make reasonable adjustments as disability discrimination. Employers with 50 or more employees must reserve at least 2% of their workforce for workers with recognised disabilities (grado de discapacidad igual o superior al 33%) under Article 42 LGDPD and the cuota de reserva regulation.

For pregnant workers (trabajadoras embarazadas) and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding (trabajadoras en periodo de lactancia), Article 26 LPRL imposes specific adaptation obligations. The employer must evaluate pregnancy-specific risks identified in the general workplace risk assessment and, if risks are identified, must adapt the working conditions or schedule in the first instance. Only if adaptation is technically impossible or unduly burdensome must the worker be assigned to a different post (cambio de puesto). If no safe post is available, the worker may access the prestación por riesgo durante el embarazo (pregnancy risk benefit) paid by the Mutua colaboradora con la Seguridad Social (Mutua) under Articles 186 through 188 of the Ley General de la Seguridad Social (LGSS, RDL 8/2015).

The Servicio de Prevención — whether the employer's own service (servicio de prevención propio), an external prevention service (servicio de prevención ajeno — SPA), or a worker-designated prevention representative (representante de prevención/delegado de prevención) — plays a central role in assessing workplace adaptation requests and recommending specific measures. The Instituto Nacional de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (INSST) publishes technical guides (guías técnicas) on adaptation for specific disability types and health conditions.

A Workplace Adaptation Request Spain is needed whenever a worker develops a health condition, receives a recognised disability rating (reconocimiento de discapacidad) from the IMSERSO or the relevant autonomous community social services body, becomes pregnant, or experiences a significant change in their physical or psychological condition that affects their ability to perform their current duties without health risk.

The request is needed when a worker receives medical clearance from the Servicio de Prevención's medical surveillance (vigilancia de la salud) with restrictions — for example, prohibition on heavy lifting, prolonged standing, or exposure to specific substances — and the existing work post does not accommodate those restrictions. The médico de empresa (occupational physician) attached to the SPA typically issues a certificate of work fitness with limitations (certificado de aptitud con restricciones) that triggers the adaptation obligation.

A Workplace Adaptation Request is required when a worker has been recognised as having a disability (discapacidad) of 33% or more by the Equipo de Valoración y Orientación (EVO) of the Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales (IMSERSO) or the autonomous community disability body (SEPAD in Extremadura, ICASS in Aragon, IASS in Asturias), and their current work post contains environmental, physical, or procedural barriers that constitute disproportionate effort.

The request is needed when a pregnant worker's risk assessment under Article 26 LPRL identifies specific risks — biological, chemical, physical, or ergonomic — that cannot be eliminated through standard preventive measures, and an adaptation of hours, tasks, or position is therefore required before recourse to the Mutua's pregnancy risk benefit.

Workplace adaptation is also needed when a worker returns from an incapacidad temporal (temporary disability leave) following injury or illness and the Equipo de Valoración de Incapacidades (EVI) of the INSS (Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social) or the Mutua issues a work capacity declaration with functional limitations, preventing immediate return to the original post without adaptation.

Parties in Spain should prepare a Workplace Adaptation Request Spain (Solicitud de Adaptación del Puesto de Trabajo) proactively rather than waiting for a dispute to arise. Courts interpret agreements based on the written terms rather than oral representations. Under the Estatuto de los Trabajadores (ET) RDL 2/2015, Spanish employment law governs contracts, dismissals, and working conditions. The Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social (TGSS) administers social security contributions. The Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (SEPE) manages unemployment benefits. The Inspección de Trabajo y Seguridad Social enforces labour compliance. The Juzgados de lo Social hear employment disputes under the Ley Reguladora de la Jurisdicción Social (Ley 36/2011). Where the transaction involves regulated activities, prior approval from the relevant authority may be required before execution.

A valid Workplace Adaptation Request Spain under Article 25 of the Ley de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales (LPRL, Ley 31/1995) must contain the following elements.

Worker Identification: Full name, DNI/NIE, job position (puesto de trabajo), professional group (grupo profesional), work location, and relevant employment contract details. Where the request is based on recognised disability, the disability certificate (certificado de discapacidad) issued by the competent authority should be referenced.

Health or Disability Condition: A description of the health condition or disability that gives rise to the adaptation request, supported by medical documentation — occupational medicine certificate (certificado médico del Servicio de Prevención), specialist medical report (informe médico especializado), or disability certificate. The description should focus on functional limitations and workplace risks — not on the diagnosis in isolation — to enable a targeted adaptation assessment.

Specific Risks at Current Post: Identification of the occupational risk factors (factores de riesgo laboral) at the current work post that are incompatible with the worker's health condition, cross-referenced with the workplace risk assessment (evaluación de riesgos) under Article 16 LPRL.

Requested Adaptation Measures: Specific measures being requested — ergonomic adjustments (silla adaptada, mesa regulable, reposapiés), schedule modification (reducción de jornada, turno diferente), task reallocation (cambio de funciones), remote work accommodation, assistive technology provision, or physical environment modifications. Specificity supports quicker employer assessment.

Timeframe: The requested implementation timeline and, where relevant, whether the adaptation is temporary (for example, during pregnancy) or permanent.

Supporting Documentation List: An inventory of supporting medical, disability, or Servicio de Prevención documents attached to the request.

Right to Confidentiality: A request that the health information contained in the application be treated as confidential under Article 22.4 LPRL and Article 9 of the RGPD — only the prevention service and those with direct occupational health responsibilities may access the underlying medical data.

Forms-legal.com provides this Workplace Adaptation Request Spain template as a practical starting point. Workers should submit the request to their HR department or direct manager, with a copy to the Servicio de Prevención and, where applicable, to the delegado de prevención or comité de seguridad y salud.

The Instituto Nacional de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (INSST) provides technical guidance on workplace adaptation. The IMSERSO and autonomous community social services bodies recognise and certify disability. The INSS manages incapacity benefits. The Servicio de Prevención coordinates the risk assessment and adaptation proposal. The Inspección de Trabajo y Seguridad Social (ITSS) enforces LPRL compliance. Workers may challenge employer refusals of reasonable adjustments before the Juzgado de lo Social as disability or health discrimination under the LGDPD and the Estatuto de los Trabajadores.

Additional compliance elements for a Workplace Adaptation Request Spain (Solicitud de Adaptación del Puesto de Trabajo) used in Spain include: Under the Estatuto de los Trabajadores (ET) RDL 2/2015, Spanish employment law governs contracts, dismissals, and working conditions. The Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social (TGSS) administers social security contributions. The Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (SEPE) manages unemployment benefits. The Inspección de Trabajo y Seguridad Social enforces labour compliance. The Juzgados de lo Social hear employment disputes under the Ley Reguladora de la Jurisdicción Social (Ley 36/2011). Forms-legal.com provides this template as a starting point for Spain-compliant documentation.