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Over two years on from the end of the last Covid lockdown, the UK has seen a marked increase in the number of people working from home.

A survey in 2023 showed that UK employees work from home for an average of 1.5 days per week, compared with an international average of 0.9 days. In 2019, around 12% of UK employees were working from home to some extent. By 2022, that number had risen to between 25% and 40%, depending on the time of year.

As popular as it may have become, there are a number of challenges associated with homeworking. From loss of social interaction and difficulty disconnecting from work, to the physical health implications of a sedentary working environment, the need to address the well-being, social and technical aspects of working from home in order to create a positive work experience cannot be over-emphasised.

Employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for homeworkers as for any other worker, whether they work from home long term, or split their time between their workplace and home.

The place to start is with a homeworking risk assessment. This should cover elements such as:

 

• Stress and mental health
• The safe use of equipment
• Working environment

 

Keeping an open line of communication with homeworkers about their arrangements is important and it is essential to bear in mind that working from home may not suit everyone. Some people, for example, may not have a suitable place to work, or they may have a preference for being amongst colleagues for mental health or other reasons.

The homeworking risk assessment

The Health and Safety Executive advises of the importance of adopting a balanced and proportionate approach for home workers.

Whilst in most cases it won't be necessary to visit them in person to ensure their health and safety, it is vital to make sure they have a healthy and safe environment in which to work.

Should the employee have a disability, or if the work involves any particular hazards such as working with tools or chemicals, then it might be appropriate to make a visit.

Things to consider for homeworkers include:

 

• How to keep in touch
• The type of work being carried out
• How that work can be done safely
• Whether any control measures need to be put in place

 

In the event that the risk assessment highlights a need for action, it is not appropriate to make any charges to the employee for this.

If you decide that an employee's home is not suitable as a working environment, or that it is not possible to put practical measures in place to protect their health and safety, then alternative arrangements should be agreed. This may potentially result in the withdrawal of working from home, and the need for employees to return to the main workplace.

The Health and Safety Executive provides detailed information on ensuring homeworkers have a safe environment in which to work.

 

Working from home – important stress and mental health considerations

Employers must protect all workers - including homeworkers - from stress at work. To this effect, a risk assessment must be carried out and acted upon.

It is important to appreciate that employees working from home will come up against the same challenges as any other worker. The difference is that it can be more difficult to provide sufficient support and keep social links intact.

Being deprived of social interaction at work can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection. This can result in feeling pressurised or stressed, and any existing mental health issues may be aggravated.

There are various practical steps employers can take to help manage the risks of stress and mental health issues for those who work from home. Examples include:

 

• Adopting an open, two-way culture in terms of discussing how home working can lead to stress or affect mental well-being
• Undertaking stress risk assessments to help identify potential problems and solutions
• Keeping homeworkers in the loop as to what is going on within the organisation so that they always feel a part of it
• Maintaining regular contact with homeworkers and ensure team meetings are accessible to all
• Holding regular meetings or calls with homeworkers so they can air any concerns

If someone is working from home for medical or other reasons, then you may need to meet their needs differently, and it may be necessary to review how they undertake their roles.

In the absence of everyday contact, it can be more of a challenge for an employer to recognise symptoms of stress or mental health issues. This makes it important to factor in additional opportunities to keep a check on the health and safety of homeworkers.

 

Practical steps to protect the mental health of employees working from home

People who work from home will often work longer hours. This can lead to added stress and tiredness. It is therefore crucial to have regular conversations about demands, workloads, support and training requirements, checking that deadlines are not unrealistic and that there is no pressure to answer emails or calls outside of normal working hours.

Making sure homeworkers take regular breaks and use their annual leave is also important.

The Health and Safety Executive offers guidance on managing stress at work, and also provides talking toolkits designed to help employers have conversations with homeworkers.

Protecting homeworkers who use display screen equipment

It is also important to protect homeworkers from the health and safety risks associated with working on a computer or laptop (display screen equipment).

Be sure to check whether the DSE regulations apply to your workers. Where they do, you should carry out a DSE assessment for individual workers. This can take the form of a self-assessment, as long as the employee has been provided with appropriate training.

The main aims of the assessment are to ensure homeworkers are able to achieve a comfortable, sustainable posture whilst working with DSE, and that any equipment provided is suitable and safe for use.

Any risks identified by the DSE assessment should be reduced as far as reasonably practicable. In addition, where the assessment highlights the need to take action, for example providing a piece of DSE equipment, homeworkers cannot be charged for this.

The HSE provides useful guidance on DSE for home workers, including practical tips on good posture.

Assistance with all aspects of workplace health and safety

For advice on all aspects of workplace health and safety, including guidance on managing the health and safety of home working staff, you are welcome to get in touch with PMR Solutions. Our advice is fully tailored to individual needs and backed by extensive industry knowledge and long term experience.