Read our article about carrying out a home working risk assessment
Home working is on the rise
Make sure you have a home working policy
Carry out a home working risk assessment
Many businesses are now exploring the possibility of home working as a more permanent thing for their employees, and employees who have successfully been working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic are seeing to make home working a more permanent arrangement. Your duties towards the health & safety of your employees doesn’t stop just because they’re working from home. You need to make sure you have a home working policy and carry out a home working risk assessment.
Home Working Policy
Your home working policy should cover things such as:
- Ensuring domestic and caring responsibilities are split away from work activities where possible
- Making sure friends & family understand the employee is working so as to minimise interruptions
- How often and by what method the employee should keep in touch with their manager
- Encouraging employees to make sure they take rest breaks
- Who will provide the equipment for them to work, and what they do if they need something
- Security and confidentiality arrangements
- The information that your employee needs access to and how you will ensure they can gain access
- Arrangements for IT support if the employee has a problem with their technology
- How often employees are expected to visit the office (and if any expenses will be paid for travel for this)
- Insurance whilst the employee is working from home
- Any monitoring or time attendance system you need the employee to use
Home Working Risk Assessment
Your home working risk assessment can be carried out by you or by your employee, and needs to analyse risk in the following areas:
- Is the work space comfortable and fit for purpose
- Display screen equipment set up
- Fire and electrical safety
- Stress and welfare
- Manual handling
- Slips, trips and falls
- Lone working
We have templates for both of these documents, so please do ask if you need any help. We can also recommend health & safety and IT companies who can support you.
Do you have questions about carrying out a home working risk assessment
Give us a call at CUBE HR, we’ll be happy to advise you and we have policies and templates available to meet every HR need.
Why not check out our other blog on the same topic IT Security for Home Workers (with Genesis IT)
You can also watch a range of other videos on our YouTube channel
