2. Home Circumstances
Before reading this section, make sure you have read section 1. Temporary And Permanent Homeworkers so that you understand the difference between the categories of home workers.
The home circumstances of any homeworker must be taken into account by the employer, particularly for those workers who have been asked to work from home, having previously worked at the organisation’s premises. Those who were recruited on the understanding that they would be working from home are presumed to have a suitable set-up to work from. Those who have been asked to change to working from home are owed a duty of care by their employer.
When asking workers to base themselves at home, whether full or part-time, the employer must make sure that these workers can do so safely.
Risk Assessment
Before reading this section, make sure you have read the category on Risk Assessments.
We recommend that you complete a generic homeworking risk assessment. This will consider all the hazards that a homeworker could face, always remembering that there could be other, unforeseen, hazards which may well have to be included in the individual risk assessments for each homeworker.
Common hazards for homeworkers include:
- Lack of communication with employer
- Lack of supervision
- Excessive workload (real or imagined)
- Unsuitable workstation
- Sharing the home workplace with others
- Stress
- Lone working
- Use of electrical equipment
- Injury from lifting/carrying equipment, deliveries etc
- Slips, trips and falls
- Fire safety
This list is not meant to be definitive, and you can probably add your own hazards, but it is a good starting point
Once you have a satisfactory generic risk assessment, you must conduct a (confidential) homeworking risk assessment for each homeworker. Obviously, you will be relying on input from each homeworker, particularly if it is not possible for you to visit their home in person. If you have particular concerns about the area being used to work in, schedule a Zoom or Teams meeting and ask the worker in question to show you round the area so that you have a clear idea of the conditions in which he or she is working.
Once you are satisfied that you have a complete risk assessment, make sure you put all the identified control measures in place and then review the assessment regularly – we recommend a monthly check initially, just to make sure the worker is happy, and no new hazards have been identified, and then six-monthly or annually thereafter (or an interval that you think appropriate).
Remember, all risk assessments specific to an individual must be confidential. All other risk assessments should be made available to everyone in your organisation.