In recent months, there has been a gradual increase of people going back to places of work such as offices. However, there is still a sizeable proportion of workers working from home. An employer has the same responsibilities for homeworkers as for any other workers. When someone is working from home, whether permanently or temporarily, an employer should consider:
- How will they keep in touch with them?
- What work activity will they be doing and for how long?
- Can it be done safely?
- Are any control measures needed to be put into place to protect them?
Lone working
There is always a greater risk for lone workers with no direct supervision or anyone to help them if things go wrong.
Keep in touch with lone workers, including those working from home, and ensure regular contact to make sure they are healthy and safe. If contact is poor, workers may feel disconnected, isolated, or abandoned. This can affect stress levels and mental health.
Working with Display Screen Equipment
For those people who are working at home on a long-term basis, the risks associated with using display screen equipment (DSE) must be controlled. This includes them doing workstation assessments at home.
There is no increased risk from DSE work for those working at home temporarily. In that situation, employers do not need to ask them to carry out home workstation assessments.
However, employers should provide workers with advice on completing their own basic assessment at home. There are some simple steps people can take to reduce the risks from DSE work:
- Breaking up long periods of DSE work with rest breaks (at least five minutes every hour) or changes in activity
- Avoiding awkward, static postures by regularly changing position
- Getting up and moving or doing stretching exercises
- Avoiding eye fatigue by changing focus (looking out of a window or to the farthest point of the room will help relax your eyes)
Specialised equipment needs
Employers should try to meet those needs where possible. For some equipment such as keyboards, mouse, etc.), this could mean allowing workers to take this equipment home.
For larger items such as ergonomic chairs, height adjustable desks, etc., encourage workers to try alternative ways of creating a comfortable working environment such as the use of supporting cushions.
It is critical that employers maintain regular communication with workers working from home to assess whether additional steps are needed, especially if they report:
- Aches, pains, or discomfort related to their temporary DSE arrangements
- Adverse effects or working in isolation, on remote IT systems
- Working longer hours without adequate rest and recovery breaks.
Stress and Mental Health
Homeworking can cause work-related stress and affect people’s mental health. Being away from managers and colleagues could make it difficult to get proper support.
It is critical that employers put procedures in place to keep in contact with homeworkers so that any signs of stress can be picked up as early as possible. It is also important to have an emergency point of contact and to share this so people know how to get help if they need it.
Sources:
- Health & Safety Executive
- Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors
- NHS website