When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, every company had to make a Digital Transformation almost literally overnight. Now, our production offices are in every employee home and we have found that it works well for the company, and for most employees.
However, according to the “Homeworker Wellbeing Survey” carried out by the Institute of Employment Studies in April 2020, just two weeks into lockdown, the cracks were already showing. Various physical health problems were being reported, with nearly 60% of respondents reporting neck pains/aches and leg pains.
ACAS advice states that employers and employees should be practical, flexible, and sensitive to each other’s situation when working from home because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Employers have a duty of care to their employees and should:
By law, employers are responsible for the health and safety of all employees, including those working from home. During the coronavirus pandemic, it is very unlikely that employers can carry out usual health and safety risk assessments at an employee’s home. However, an employer should still check that:
If changes are needed, employers are responsible for making sure they happen.
Employees also have a responsibility to take reasonable care of their own health and safety. Anyone working from home should keep in regular contact with their manager. They should also tell their manager about any health and safety risks and any homeworking arrangements that need to change.
With more people working from home, employers are seeking answers to critical questions to ensure they are adhering to legislation. At FortressAS we have released “The Definitive Home Working FAQ: Your Critical Home-Working Questions Answered” which covers the answers to some of the most important and pressing questions employers have today about their employee’s homeworking arrangements.