homeworking policy plc

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Homeworking Policy

Many businesses have some form of hybrid working arrangements in place. That's because employers see the benefits of flexible working.

But even if your staff work away from the office, you still have a legal duty to protect them. That's why you need a homeworking policy. Through them, you'll be able to protect your staff as they work from their homes.

However, there are legal rules when it comes to homeworking. If you neglect them, you could end up hurting employees, paying compensation, and facing business losses.

In this guide, we'll look at what a homeworking policy is, what the law covers, and how to protect employees working from home.

What is a homeworking policy?

A homeworking policy is a set of guidelines explaining how employees are managed whilst working from home.

Homeworking is a form of hybrid working ; meaning, staff will carry on their job outside their usual workplace. It could be for a couple days in the week. Other times, it's for a set period.

But it doesn't matter if staff work away for one day or a whole week. A homeworking policy helps you protect them throughout their time away from your direct management.

The policy displays the flexible working arrangements used within your company. Employees have a clear understanding of what's expected from them whilst working from home.

What are the benefits of homeworking?

A homeworking policy brings about all kinds of employment benefits - for employees and employers. For example:

Lower overhead costs

One advantage an employer gains from hybrid working is lower overhead costs.

Employers will be able to save on all kinds of financial costs. Like office utility, rent, and maintenance bills. These savings can then be put back into the company to help improve productivity and output.

Wider pool of applicants

Businesses also gain access to a wider pool of job applicants.

More people today will specifically seek a job role that offers hybrid working. They value being able to work for a company that supports a balanced work life. And when staff are happy with their job, it reflects in their performance.

Managers can even stretch their recruitment means on a global scale. Remote employment means you're not limited to one type of applicant pool.

Happier and engaged employees

As mentioned, when employees are happy in their job, they're more likely to be productive and engaged overall.

Maybe they no longer need to go through tiring or expensive daily commutes. Homeworking allows them to do their job without additional pressure and stress. They may even work better due to their relaxed or comfortable home environment.

More environmentally friendly

Hybrid working can help your company to become more eco-friendly.

Less employees are commuting on a daily basis, which means less pollution being produced. This includes toxic pollutants from both personal cars, as well as public transport.

Pollution statistics are more identifiable within a larger organisation or business. However, every managed step adds up to the same, positive end-goal.

What are the downsides of homeworking?

Whilst the benefits may seem enticing, there are some downsides you need to consider when creating your homeworking policy. For example:

Hard to monitor performance

One of the biggest downsides to homeworking is that can be hard to monitor work performance .

That's because managers aren't able to assist their homeworking team in the same way as they would do in the office. It can be to keep on top of engagement, motivation , and even collaboration.

In the end, it may slow down team progression and output - losing you time, effort, and money in the long run.

Higher telecommunication costs

One factor that employers need to consider is their telecommunication costs.

These include things like work phones and video-calling equipment. If selected well, these can be relatively cheap to maintain.

But phone bills and internet charges can be hard to track, let alone reduce. And if you have multiple users within your business, the costs can quickly add up.

Affected employee wellbeing

Some homeworkers can even class as vulnerable employees. That's because they face certain risks you may or may not find in the workplace.

They might suffer from physical injuries if they don't work in safe conditions. For example, if their workstations aren’t set to DSE standards , they could suffer from muscle injuries and eye strain.

They could even suffer from poor mental health management whilst working from home. Employees could go through long hours without talking to colleagues or line-managers. Common health conditions raised by homeworkers are stress, anxiety, and depression .

Blurred work hours

It's very common for employees to blur their work hours whilst working from home.

They'll often end up working overtime - way beyond their contract hours. They'll also end up not taking their breaks. (This includes both lunch breaks, as well as regular breaks away from their workstations).

Usually, homeworkers will overwork because they lack direct management. They're eager to get tasks completed, so don't see the risks to overworking. But in the end, it can ruin their productivity, engagement, and work-life balance .

What is the law on working from home?

There isn't a specific working from home legislation under UK employment law. However, there are certain laws linked to the practice.

Certain employees only have a statutory right to request working from home – it’s not a legal entitlement. Employers are under no obligation to accept their ‘flexible working’ request - it's entirely up to your organisation.

The only time you must consider requests is when it's contractually agreed to. If an employee signs a homeworking clause within their employment contract, you must accept their request. But you need to apply it based on the wording of the employment contract.

Employees can only request flexible working if they have 26 weeks of continuous service. If the request is agreed to, it should be confirmed in writing and an updated contract should be issued. Make sure you add this to your homeworking policy, too.

Other legal obligations linked to homeworking come under:

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR)

Every employer has a legal duty to create a safe and healthy work environment. This duty extends to homeworking, along with other health-related policies.

Employees must be given proper equipment and workstations to do their job correctly. This includes things like sufficient equipment, computer software, and internet security.

The homeworking policy must highlight safety management standards. You also need to carry out a risk assessment on home equipment. Individual employees can complete this themselves after receiving proper training.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA)

Another legal duty that every manager must comply with is wellbeing management.

This means making sure homeworkers aren't facing additional issues or suffering alone. A great way to minimise them is through regular communication. Compared to their colleagues, homeworkers are often forgotten when it comes to welfare support.

Remember, employees working from home can class as vulnerable. So, make sure you safeguard them, especially those with health conditions. For example, if they're pregnant or have mental health issues.

How to manage a homeworking policy in the workplace

Employers are legally responsible for every staff-member, including homeworkers.

Remember, you still need to apply the same practices and procedures as you’d normally. This only thing that’s changed is their work location. That way, you'll be able to ensure their welfare and security - wherever they're working from.

Let's look at ways to manage a homeworking policy in the workplace:

Write out your homeworking policy rules

The first step employers should take is writing out your homeworking policy rules.

It's not enough just applying your usual work rules and training. You need to create rules that specifically apply to homeworking. Your homeworking policy rules should cover the following:

• Discuss what tasks are expected from staff.
• Outline their work hours and breaks .
• Explain who they should contact for any work-related issues.
• Discuss wellbeing responsibilities and management.

Document your rules in writing and make them available to every staff-member. You should also highlight what's expected from them; as well as what the consequences are for breaching the rules.

Carry out a working from home risk assessment

To keep on top of safeguarding homeworkers, you should carry out a working from home risk assessment.

These assessments allow you to eliminate any risks that they could face at home. For example, poor setup standards, missing work equipment, and even remote security risks.

A line-manager wouldn't necessarily conduct these risk assessments. Employees can do it themselves after receiving the proper training. But it's up to you to regularly review them within a suitable period.

Make sure your homeworking policy covers why risk assessments are needed. For example, an employee might require reasonable adjustments based on legal eligibility criteria, like disability or pregnancy.

Through your risk assessment, you'll be able to provide equipment that suits their operational needs. Remember, this legal duty stands wherever the employee is working.

Keep regular communication with homeworkers

A lot of homeworkers suffer from loneliness and isolation whilst at home.

That's why it's important for managers to keep communication going on a regular basis. This is easily done through phone-calls and video-calling technology. Whatever your methods are, make sure they're included in your homeworking policy.

A regular communication period should be upheld by both line-managers and colleagues. Keep homeworkers updated on any company changes or new work arrangements.

Provide cyber-security and data protection training

When an employee works from home, they should be aware of security risks.

It's best practice to provide all employees with cyber-security and data protection training. Security training should extend to using office and personal equipment.

As you utilise more technology within your company, make sure homeworkers follow security training. Make sure you regularly review and update the terms in your homeworking policy, too.

Promote good work-life balance

When employees are working from home, it's very common for them to overwork.

That's why it's important for managers to promote good work-life balance. This is especially common with those who want to overperform; or are struggling with the transition.

By promoting a good work balance, employees will be able to maintain personal arrangements. For example, like childcare or other caring responsibilities.

Your homeworking policy should highlight benefits employees can enjoy in both their work and home life.

Get expert advice on your homeworking policy with Croner

Every company has a legal duty to protect employee wellbeing during work. And this includes protecting home-workers.

If a manager fails to follow proper homeworking policy procedures, it could account to serious consequences. Like injured colleagues, unlimited compensation, and business damages.

But you don’t need to deal with this alone. Croner offers expert advice on your homeworking policy. Our team of involved HR advisors and qualified solicitors are here to offer their assistance and support.

Need more advice on your homeworking policy? Speak to a Croner expert about any HR or UK law issue on 0800 470 2589 .

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Working From Home Policy (HR Guidelines)

• Anne Morris
• 5 August 2022

IN THIS SECTION

With more employees than ever working from home, employers must ensure they have a working from home policy in place that is clear on standards and expectations for remote workers, while ensuring legal compliance and protecting their interests.

In this guide for employers, we share an overview of the law relating to working from home, including an employer’s legal responsibilities toward their employees, and what a working from home policy should include as a matter of best practice.

The law on working from home

Homeworking is where a member of staff is permitted to carry out their daily contractual duties from home on an occasional, temporary or permanent basis.

The employee will typically still work in accordance with the core conditions under their contract of employment, such as the same working hours and pay, but will not be required to go into their official place of work for those days where working remotely has been agreed on hybrid working basis .

Working from home is a type of flexible working arrangement that can enable employees to meet the demands of their job role while providing a degree of flexibility to achieve a better work/life balance.

There are also various benefits to homeworking for your business, including lowering overhead costs, freeing up office space, and a happier and potentially more productive workforce with improved staff retention.

There is no legal right to work from home .

Employees have the right to request flexible working after accruing 26 weeks’ continuous service . As an employer, you do not have to agree to any such request by law, although you are legally required to consider a request made and provide sound business reasons for any refusal.

What are an employer’s responsibilities for homeworkers?

By law, all employers are under a duty of care to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees, including when an employee works from home.

Ordinarily, you would be expected to carry out some form of health and safety risk assessment of the workspace available within the employee’s home environment. A risk assessment can still be completed, even in the current climate, by way of an employee questionnaire, ensuring that every individual feels that the work they are being asked to do can be achieved safely at home.

You will be responsible for ensuring that employees have access to the right equipment and technology needed to conduct their role from home, such as a laptop, mobile phone, suitable business software and good internet connectivity. Where this needs to be set up or provided, you will be responsible for making this happen, together with any necessary training and support to work from home or to use any remote working systems.

During the course of any period of homeworking you should also keep in regular contact with employees, checking on their health and wellbeing. This includes any mental health issues that may arise as a result of high levels of stress and anxiety, or feelings of isolation, caused by working from home or because of work-related issues.

What should a working from home policy include?

Whether you are considering implementing a working from home policy on a permanent basis or as a temporary measure, you will need clear rules setting out any eligibility requirements, how to request working from home and how this will work in practice.

Below we consider some of the key aspects of a working from home policy.

Eligibility criteria

Your working from home policy should include clear guidelines to let your staff know who is eligible for home working and who is not, as well as how to apply.

When considering eligibility, you will need to take into account the impact on your business of allowing homeworking, and whether this is economically and operationally viable without placing your business at a significant disadvantage.

It may be that the business can survive with only a key number of employees working within certain roles, with the majority working from home. In other cases, working from home may not be possible at all.

Any decision to allow homeworking does not need to be implemented across your entire organisation, although you should be transparent and clear about the basis upon which employees are eligible to work from home, ensuring that this does not discriminate against certain individuals or groups of individuals.

Carrying out a risk assessment

For those who are eligible for homeworking, you will still need to carry out some form of risk assessment for that individual, ensuring that they can work from home safely and reliably without direct supervision, and whether homeworking is feasible in terms of space and equipment, as well as any caring responsibilities, such as for young children or sick and elderly relatives.

Your questionnaire should include asking details about the employee’s personal circumstances or vulnerabilities that you may need to be aware of, such as whether the employee is pregnant, has a weakened immune system or a long-term medical condition such as diabetes, cancer, chronic lung disease or respiratory conditions such as asthma, or lives with anyone with these conditions.

You will also need to ask questions relating to the viability of working from home, including access to any necessary devices, paperwork, office furniture, computer applications, software and a secure internet connection.

Establishing a homeworking agreement

Homeworking can be very different to face-to-face work practices, presenting all sorts of new practical daily challenges. It is important that you set out how you expect employees to perform while working remotely, exactly what they are required to do and how things will work in practice.

This should include agreeing to the following:

• At what times the employee will be available to work
• At what times the employee will be able to take breaks
• The ways in which employees will keep in touch and with whom
• Who employees should contact if they have any problems
• Exactly what the employee is required to do
• How their performance will be managed and measured

It is important to recognise that some individuals may find it hard to organise themselves when working from home, so setting daily or weekly tasks may be a good way of providing a suitable structure for those working remotely.

Ensuring cyber security and data protection

When working from home it is important that employees are fully trained in the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act. If you plan to let your staff use their own devices when working remotely, you need to think about how they will keep any important data safe and private, as well as how any hardcopy files and paperwork will be stored.

You should ensure that homeworkers store and save all online files in the central cloud storage for your company or organisation, and not locally on their own device. Your work from home policy should also include rules such as ensuring employees protect their own devices with antivirus software where necessary. You may need to offer a financial contribution to cover this cost.

Keeping in touch with homeworkers

Regularly keeping in touch with homeworkers is not only essential to the operational needs of your business, but to ensure their health and wellbeing.

It is important that employees have the means to easily communicate with their manager or colleagues, so as to share progress and stay up-to-date with work projects. This might involve new ways of working, for example, using video or conference calling technology, as well as ensuring that employees feel fully supported on both a professional and personal basis.

For those homeworkers with children or other caring responsibilities, you will need to be sensitive and flexible toward their situation. You may need to agree to a more flexible homeworking arrangement, for example, working reduced or different hours, or reducing work targets and being flexible about deadlines.

You may also need to make adjustments to any temporary arrangements to improve an individual’s working conditions, as well as ensuring sufficient IT support to cope with the number of staff working from home at any one time.

Need assistance?

Making changes to working practices can offer considerable benefits to both the employee and employer, but it will be important to have an effective working from home policy in place to have clarity of roles and responsibilities.

Ensuring that you have in place a homeworking policy, with clear guidelines as to what is expected of an employee working remotely, is imperative to maintaining the operational needs of your business, as well as the health and wellbeing of the homeworker.

By failing to establish clear boundaries, this could lead to all kinds of issues including a lack of productivity, unmotivated employees, social isolation and over-working or working unsocial hours. By providing guidance and support, maintaining regular contact and monitoring an employee’s performance, you can help to manage and pre-empt any potential issues.

DavidsonMorris’ employment lawyers can help with all aspects of workforce management. Working closely with our HR specialists, we offer a holistic advisory and support service for employers encompassing both the legal and people management elements of flexible and hybrid working arrangements. Speak to our  experts  today for advice.

Working from home policy FAQs 

What should be included in a working from home policy.

The policy should provide the official guidelines for anyone working from home and for managers responsible for managing homeworkers. This includes details of what is allowable, expectations and the procedures to follow.

What is the law on working from home?

There is no right to work from home, but some employees have a right to request flexible working, which could include a remote working arrangement.

Can an employer refuse working from home?

Employers must consider a statutory request for flexible working, but they may refuse if they have good reason, such as disproportionate costs.

Last updated: 5 August 2022

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Working from Home Business Policy

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This document can be used by an employer to create a Working From Home Policy . A Working From Home Policy outlines the approach an employer shall take to allowing, managing and facilitating employees to work from home or other remote locations.

This document shall provide:

• a statement on the general purpose of the policy;
• the scope of the policy;
• the application process employees should follow to be able to work from home; and
• the management procedure that shall apply to employees who are working from home.

Please note that it is not a legal requirement for employers to have a Working From Home Policy but it is good business practice.

How to use this document

This document should be made easily available to and communicated with any employees. It is common to display workplace policies in an easily accessible public area so that any persons who may be connected with the Employer's activities in any way can easily see the commitment they have made to allow employees to work from home.

This policy should be signed and dated by a senior member of management who is authorised to do so. This may be the employer himself or the most senior person acting on behalf of the company, e.g. Managing Director. It is the duty of the employer or the most senior person in the company to ensure that the aims, responsibilities and arrangements contained within this document are carried out.

Please note that should this policy be revised or altered at any time, these revisions and alterations must be communicated effectively to employees at the earliest opportunity.

Applicable law

Employers should be aware of HSE guidance on employees working from home and the relevant ACAS guidance .

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The lawyer can answer your questions or help you through the process. You will be offered this option when you complete the document.

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A guide to help you: Important Factors for Employers to Consider when Creating Safe Working Environment

Other names for the document:

Homeworking policy, Policy for Working from Home, Policy for Homework, Remote Working Policy, Policy for Remote Working

Country: United Kingdom

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23 January 2023 | HR & Employment

Homeworking Policy – Options as an Employer or Employee

This Insight is #9 in our Employment Handbook series, keep an eye out for more.

Homeworking Policy

Homeworking is a type of flexible working which, depending on the agreement between employer and employee, can be also used in conjunction with other arrangements such as flexible hours, working part-time, term-time working or the employer’s core hours.

Homeworking can be a great way to fit work around other commitments, such as childcare or caring for elderly relatives. It can also be used to reduce commuting time and costs.

A working from home policy clarifies the expectations and procedures for employees who wish to work from home. It is important to have such a policy in place so that there is a clear understanding of the company’s expectations and procedures regarding homeworking.

As an Employer, you have the option of incorporating homeworking as part of a flexible or hybrid policy, whereby employees are still required to come into the office on set days of the week.

Alternatively, you might be content with permitting your employees to work from home on a full-time basis.

Working from home: Benefits to Employers

Having employees who work from home permanently can be a great benefit to employers.

These benefits include:

• Employees based in different geographical areas which means organisations can recruit from a wider area.
• Saves costs of expensive commercial premises as they can have fewer or smaller premises.
• Helps protect business continuity as the business can be spread over different locations, rather than being focused in one location.

Working from Home: Benefits to Employees

Not only do employers reap the benefits of staff working from home, but employees do too:

• The arrangement allows employees to work for an employer outside the geographical area they’d normally be forced to work in.
• They are able to avoid the daily commute.
• Provides greater flexibility to the UK staff member.

Will working from home continue after Covid-19?

There have always been employers with homeworkers but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, homeworking has become the norm rather than the exception.

During the pandemic many employers were compelled to allow staff   to work from home in accordance with government guidance, forcing a shift in approach to homeworking for many businesses, and so it is likely that homeworking will become more common in the future, whether as a full-time arrangement or as part of a hybrid working pattern.

Homeworking Legalities for Employers & Employees

Any employee who is recruited on the basis that they’ll work from home will need to have this fact set out in their contract of employment.  

If an employee wants to change their working arrangement so that they can work from home, they’ll need an agreement with their employer as it’s not an automatic right in the UK for employees to work from home.   It’s then up to the employer to decide whether they’re going to allow the change.  

If the employee has been with the company for at least 26 weeks, they can ask to work from home as part of a flexible working request. In that case, the employer is required to follow the statutory procedure for dealing with flexible working requests.  

If the change is agreed to, the employer needs to change the employee’s contract so that it reflects the new arrangements.  

In addition to ensuring the individual contract is amended, employers should also have a Homeworking Policy.

What Should the Homeworking Policy Include?

A homework policy in the UK should set out the rules around homeworking and explain what is expected of those working from home so that expectations are in alignment.  

The policy needs to include: 

• Whether the arrangement is temporary or permanent.
• There is a trial period and how long that will be.
• The locations the employee can work from.
• The expectations of an employee working from home.
• When they’ll need to come into the workplace.
• What equipment the employer will supply for homeworking.
• Data security considerations.
• How the employer can end the arrangement if needs be.
• Health and safety requirements.

This last point is an important one that’s often overlooked, as the employee’s home becomes an extension of their workplace.   This means that the employer can be held liable for any accidents the employee has at home while they’re working.

As a matter of law, employers must provide employees with employment contracts that cover the key terms of their employment relationship. However, it is also good practice to have non-contractual policies and procedures in place, such as an employee handbook. This can sit alongside contracts of employment to set out how employees are expected to act and can help prevent or resolve disputes between employees and employers.

Your responsibility as an Employer

As a matter of law employers must give employees employment contracts which cover the key terms of the employment relationship, but the contract won’t cover all of the policies, procedures and expectations for the relationship between a business and the people within it. A employee handbook can include information for all team members, including employees, workers, apprentices and agency staff. Not only can a employee handbook bring together useful guidance for everyone on the culture, values and expectations the business as but it will often be a resource that can save a dispute from arising or provide the best framework for resolving a dispute. The non-contractual policies and procedures that can be included in a employee handbook will sit alongside contracts of employment to set out how employees are expected to act and how the employer will deal with certain situations.

Putting all the policies and procedures together in one place that is accessible to everyone working in a business is good practice and can provide an invaluable framework for reference on all of the HR issues to cover. If any grievance or dispute arises, having a policy or procedure to refer to and follow can help prevent the situation escalating. If the worst occurs and a claim comes before a tribunal, being able to show the policies and procedures that were followed can make a huge difference to the outcome.

Homeworking has become the norm for many businesses all over the UK. If that’s the case for you, you’ll need a policy in your Employee Handbook for it. For more information about Homeworking Policies get in touch with our Employment Law team on 0330 912 8338 .

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Creating or updating policies - Home and hybrid working policies

Creating or updating policies.

• Treating staff fairly
• Arrangements
• How to structure a policy

As an employer, you should create a policy for working from home or hybrid working. A policy can help you to consider requests and explain the process to your employees.

You should also:

• update any related policies or procedures
• regularly review your policies and check if they can be improved
• consult your employees and their representatives
• check whether you need to make changes to employment contracts

What a policy is

A policy is a document that:

• outlines how things work
• sets flexible limits

This allows managers and employees to discuss and agree specific arrangements.

For example, Sal's employer has a hybrid working policy that says employees can usually work remotely up to 3 days per week. Sal wants to work from home 4 days a week.

Sal discusses it with their line manager who explains the policy. Their line manager agrees they can work from home every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. They both agree to review how it works.

Outlining how things work

You should explain how someone can request working from home or hybrid working, and how you will respond.

You should include in your policy how to introduce, set up and support an employee.

Setting flexible limits

A policy should say what types of working from home or hybrid working are available in your organisation.

It should also say how:

• roles will be assessed
• you will consider employee needs
• decisions will be made

Review and consultation

You might need to review things because of changes to the needs of:

• the organisation
• individual employees

You might also be reviewing the outcome of a trial period.

You should regularly review your policies and consult your employees and their representatives. Discuss how things are going and if any changes could be made.

Find out about consulting employees and their representatives

Making changes to employment contracts

When you're creating or updating a policy, you should check whether you'll need to make a change to employment contracts.

Things to check in a contract include:

• where it says employees work
• what hours employees work
• how employees will be managed

Find out more about making changes to employment contracts

If you do not need to change an employment contract

If you do not need to change a contract, you should:

• agree any arrangements with staff
• put in writing what's been agreed, for example in an email or letter

If you like, you can tell us more about what was useful on this page. We cannot reply – so do not include any personal details, for example your email address or phone number. If you have any questions about your individual circumstances, you can contact the Acas helpline .

Homeworking is here to stay: are your policies up to date?

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Just as many businesses were taking tentative steps towards re-populating office environments, taking their steer from the more relaxed message coming from the Government over the summer months, the position that workers should “work from home if [they] can” has now been brought back, and looks like it is here to stay for the next 6 months at least.

When the initial lockdown was imposed back in March, businesses were quick to respond to move workers on to a home-working footing and, for many, this ‘new normal’ has persisted ever since. However, given the clear Government position for the remainder of this year and beyond, now would be a good time to refresh on home-working policies, procedures and red flags.

Here are a few focus points to consider.

Has there been a change to the place of work for the employee?

The Employer may need to go back and consider the basis upon which employees moved to home-working at the start of lockdown. Do you have a contractual right to require the employee to move to work from home? Or has this, to date, been done by informal consent? If this is a change which may be here to stay (at least for part of working time) then now would be a good time for the employer to discuss a change to the employment contract to require home-working at the employer’s request. Agreement to such a change would need to be recorded in writing. If an agreement is not reached then the employer will need to consider the wider issues arising when you seek to change terms and conditions of employment (consultation and the possibility of dismissal and re-engagement.

Health and safety of employees in the 'workplace'

As the employer, you are responsible for the health and safety of your employees in the ‘workplace’. This includes where the employee’s ‘workplace’ is their home address. Employers should ensure that they have carried out an adequate risk assessment to identify any hazards and risks associated with an employee working from home and should ensure that any equipment provided is safe and checked regularly. Given the restrictions on entering households and the need to operate in a COVID-safe manner, this is likely to be better achieved by a virtual tour of the workstation and/or requiring the completion and return of on-line risk assessments and/or training by each employee so that any issues can be identified and actioned and, crucially, the employer has a record of this having been done.

Insurance cover for company equipment

Employers should ensure that their insurance extends to any equipment used by a homeworking employee in the home setting, or should require the employee to ensure that any company equipment used by them at home is covered under their own contents insurance, and if it isn’t then to arrange (at their own expense) insurance cover for company equipment while it is at their home. Evidence of such insurance should be requested.

Data security and confidentiality

Homeworkers may need specific training on their obligations and those of the employer in relation to data protection and confidentiality, concerning the procedures which they must follow, and what is, and is not, an authorised use of data. Employers should also carry out a data privacy impact assessment of the data protection implications of employees working from home. Common sense ideas include ensuring that all work is carried out on employer-provided equipment, that suitable systems are in place for the secure storage of any paperwork and that passwords are not shared. Again, a clear paper trail should be kept by the employer detailing what measures they have taken in this area.

The use of equipment for private use

If the employer provides a computer for home use then there will be no charge to income tax for the provision of this benefit provided that any private use is ‘insignificant’. To avoid any issues employers may wish to include a clause in any homeworking agreement whereby the employee agrees that any private use will be insignificant.

Does your business have a homeworking policy? 

It could be a useful place to encapsulate the business’s approach to homeworking and to raise awareness of the issues raised above, the interplay with flexible working and how remote management of performance and conduct will be carried out.  It is also an opportunity, if applicable, to make clear that homeworking is a temporary arrangement in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic; i.e. employees should not see it as a permanent change to their contractual terms.

Many businesses have embraced the positives that these enforced changes to working life have brought and, its fair to say, many are unlikely to return to pre-COVID ways of working even once the crisis has passed. Now is the time to ensure the current position is fit for purpose and put your business on the best and most dynamic footing for re-emergence in due course.

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What should be included in a homeworking policy?

• Author Employment Team

The mass shift to homeworking arrangements has been one of the many challenges employers faced this past year.  Many employers will have had to devise a homeworking policy without the benefit of much experience with homeworking in their workplace. Despite early challenges, homeworking has proven successful for many businesses and may continue to some degree after the pandemic. With this in mind, our Employment Law team here examines some broad areas employers should cover in their homeworking policy.

Application process to home working

Your homeworking policy should include a clear procedure for employees who want to make the switch to homeworking.  This procedure should include:

• Who employees should submit their request to;
• How far in advance they must make the request;
• What information must be included in their application;
• How long employees should expect to wait for a decision;
• How employees can appeal a rejection.

You may also wish to include some instances where homeworking generally would not be appropriate and a request is likely to be refused, such as:

• The role is not suited for homeworking;
• The employee has an unexpired warning or improvement note;
• The employee does not have a suitable space for homeworking.

However, every homeworking application must be considered in light of the circumstances of the individual employee. You may therefore wish to incorporate trial periods into your homeworking policy. A trial period can help both you and the employee decide if homeworking really is a suitable arrangement and can provide a defence to a discrimination claim if the trial period reveals it was not a good fit.

Management and supervision of employees working from home

How you manage and supervise employees will depend on the needs and resources of your organisation.  Possible supervision strategies include:

• regular video/ telephone calls
• regular trips to the office (where possible)
• monitoring emails or internet use

Whichever methods you use, you should ensure that employees are kept fully informed with any procedures, particularly if you are monitoring their emails or internet use, and that you comply with Data Protection legislation.

Equipment for employees working from home

If you provide equipment to employees who work from home, you should state in your policy that:

• The equipment remains the property of the employer;
• You have the right to enter the home at reasonable time and with reasonable notice to install, maintain, and remove equipment (where possible in light of restrictions);
• The equipment must only be used for the purposes for which you have provided it;
• The employee must take good care of the equipment and alert you if it needs repair.

If employees use their own device to work from home, the policy should state whether you will cover the cost of increased wear and tear caused by using the equipment for work.

Data security and homeworking

Working from home introduces new challenges and risks to data security.  You may wish to conduct a privacy impact assessment to determine the unique risks homeworking poses to your organisation. This can then help you develop a policy that addresses those specific risks. 

Questions you may want to consider when devising your policy include:

• Who is allowed to have access to equipment provided by the company;
• How data is to be transferred to and from the office;
• How files must be stored (e.g. in a locked filing cabinet);
• How documents are to be destroyed.

Employees should be reminded of their obligations to protect confidential information, and that any IT and Data Protection Policies you may have apply equally to homeworkers.

Expenses and homeworking

Employees who work from home may incur more expenses than those that work in the office.  Your homeworking policy should be clear on which of these expenses you will cover.  For example, where working from home causes an employee’s home insurance premium to increase, their employer may agree to cover the increase.  Other areas where employees may wish to claim expenses include:

• travel to and from meetings
• costs associated with increased use of electricity or broadband in their home.

Health and Safety and homeworking

When it comes to health and safety, employers owe the same duty towards homeworkers as they do to the rest of their employees.  As it is your responsibility to ensure the home is safe and suitable for the employee’s role, your homeworking policy should include the right to carry out a risk assessment and the right to refuse an application for homeworking if health and safety concerns are not addressed.  Once the home is declared suitable for homeworking it is the employee’s job to maintain the home’s suitability.

You may also want to caution employees on the risks that homeworking can pose to their mental health.  Remind employees of any resources that you offer or refer them to an employee welfare policy if you have one.  

Over the past year, homeworking has been a success in many business and employers and employees alike may wish it to continue, post-pandemic.  How organisations manage homeworking will vary depending on their structure and needs, but having a policy in place will allow the foundations for future requests.  If you have any questions regarding a home working policy, or other policies you are considering implementing, you can contact the Employment Law team by calling 023 8071 7717 or email [email protected] .

To receive regular Employment Law updates from the team regarding recent tribunal cases and legislation updates, you can subscribe to our weekly  Employment Law Newsletter  by completing our  subscription form  or emailing us at  [email protected] . 

This is for information purposes only and is no substitute for, and should not be interpreted as, legal advice.  All content was correct at the time of publishing and we cannot be held responsible for any changes that may invalidate this article.

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An Employer’s Guide to Homeworking Policy

The years 202o and 2021 saw a dramatic increase in homeworking due to COVID – 19. Homeworking is a valuable tool for the employer and also employees.

This is an effective home working guide for employers. 

What is Homeworking?

Homeworking is a form of flexible working policy that involves the use of technology to enable employees/home workers to work away from the employer’s office. In this system, employees can either be mobile, based at home, or work from home occasionally. Homeworking has benefits to the employers but it requires policies and procedures to run smoothly and that is what this guide is about.  

Types of Homeworking

Occasional homeworking.

This type of homeworking is frequent and is done on an ad-hoc basis. This can happen when there is a specific task the employee needs to do that requires concentration without regular office interruptions. This can also occur in cases of illness or adverse weather conditions. To authorize such a request the needs of the company has to be considered.

Regular Homeworking

Regular homeworking is an agreement where the employee or home worker spends more than fifty percent of their contracted time working from home. The regular homeworker is to meet certain targets that have been agreed upon with the employer. To become a regular homeworker the employee has to put in a formal request to the employer. This formal response has to be reviewed and carefully considered by the employer or HR.

Permanent Homeworking

For this type of work, the employee spends a hundred percent of their time working from home. This also includes employees that permanently visit sites from their home base. This should be included in the employee contract. This kind of contract works best where the employee has an autonomous job. A formal request has to be filed before a permanent homeworking contract can be granted.

Benefits of Having Homeworkers for the Employer

Homeworking increases productivity.

Working from home helps the homeworker to avoid the possible distractions that can occur in the office. This improves output and increases productivity. It can also improve the quality of work of homeworkers who value working from home as their work-life balance is improved. This can also lead to a greater commitment from homeworkers.

Homeworking Reduces Overhead

Having homeworkers can reduce overhead costs. If employees work from home, less office space will be used. This will, in turn, lead to a reduction in rent, utility bill and business rates. Also, if the business is expanding and needs more space it may be cost-effective to have where possible some employees work from home in order to create more space.

Homeworking for More Diverse Workforces

Having a flexible system where employees can work from home means that the firm will be able to capture a diverse group of employees. Disabled people for example or a mother will be able to get involved. This means that your firm is open to more ideas and talents. Each individual has their unique way of doing things and this may help the company grow.

Improvement in Company Reputation

Having a reputation for flexibility might be a plus and be attractive to talented employees. Having this reputation may also help attract more customers to your firm as well as stakeholders. There are benefits to being seen as a flexible firm and it may help with word-of-mouth advertisement.

Flexibility 

Having a rigid system means that you are restricted to a particular region and territory. But with a flexible system, you do not have to consider geography as you can employ bright minds in a completely different country or continent. The flexibility of home working also helps you retain current employees. If for example, an employee has to move they can continue working for the company.

Reduced Carbon Emissions

Employees having to show up at work every day means that they contribute daily to pollution in society. Allowing some employees to work from home may be a way of showing that you care about the environment by reducing the number of pollution employees cause daily through commuting.

Some Possible Pitfalls of Homeworking

It is important to know the possible things to consider so you watch out for them and deal with them properly.

Separating home life from work life may be hard for the homeworker

The homeworker may easily let their work-life take over their home life and this can begin to affect their wellbeing. It may be necessary to produce a working guide for the employee or give regular breaks. It is also important to regularly check on the homeworkers.

Homeworker management 

For homeworking to function effectively there has to be proper management in place. This is more demanding than it would have been in an office building. There has to be greater trust between the homeworker and management. Also, effective communication tools should be set up for easy communication between the homeworker and the manager.

Homeworking costs

There may be some initial cost for setting up homeworking. This might include the cost of setting up communication tools, video calls but this initial cost will eventually even out with the cost saved from overheads due to reduced staff in the office. So, the savings may be greater in the long run for the company.

Access to employee representatives

Even though employees are working from home they still need to be able to communicate with their representatives i.e. trade union. As an employer, you should take reasonable steps for this to happen. You can have a space in the office for employees to meet with their representatives for example.

Homeworkers as carers

When a homeworker is also a carer you have to ensure that they know work time should not be used for caring for dependents. You should inform them that they are to create alternative arrangements for their dependents to be looked after by someone else during work time. This should be arranged before the employee becomes a homeworker.

The Legal Issues Around Homeworking

Health and safety of the homeworker

The health and safety requirements apply to homeworkers; therefore, you owe your homeworkers a duty of care. As an employer, you have to conduct an appropriate risk assessment to ensure that the ventilation, lighting, chair, table, computer, or any other work essentials in the proposed workplace is suitable for the work needed to be done.  

This risk assessment must be carried out with the proposed homeworker’s task in mind. You are required to supply the employee with essential equipment. If there is any dysfunction to be rectified after the home assessment, it is the role of the employee to rectify this. It is also the role of the homeworker to keep the workplace safe after it has passed the risk assessment and they are required to inform you of any change in the workplace.

Handling an employee’s flexible working request

Employees with 26 weeks of service can request to work flexibly. You are not obligated to accept such a request but there has to be a reasonable reason for refusing it. You have to properly communicate and explain this reason to the employee. The law sets out eight possible reasons for refusal:

• It will place a burden of additional costs on the firm
• It will have a detrimental effect on the company’s ability to meet its customer’s demands
• The company is unable to reorganize work among its current employees
• The company is unable to take on new employees
• Homeworking will affect the quality of work produced
• It will affect the performance of the employee
• There is insufficient work during the employee’s proposed work period
• There are planned structural changes

Supervision and support of homeworkers

A homeworker is still subject to the same support and supervision given to an on-site worker. There should be regular daily appraisals with the supervisor. The supervisor should also be quick to pick up on signs of stress or difficulty and it should be dealt with immediately. The appraisal, reporting, and support system should be agreed on from the onset. There should also be enough opportunity for the homeworker’s work to be reviewed and a system in place to track the progress of the homeworker. If a homeworker complains that their health is being affected this should be raised immediately and the homeworker referred to appropriate care. As well as a risk assessment it may also be important to carry out a stress risk assessment and issues raised should be addressed.

Confidentiality and data security

Data security obligations do not change simply because an employee is now a homeworker. Regardless of the location, work is carried out by the employer and the employee is still; bound by GDPR and other data security laws. The homeworker must be reminded of this. It is also important to assess equipment provided to homeworkers during a risk assessment to see if they comply with data protection laws.

The tax status of an employee does not change simply because they are now a homeworker. The income tax and national insurance contribution should still be removed from the employee’s salary. It is important to inform your employees about the possible tax implications involved with homeworking. In the course of carrying out their job, the homeworker may need to purchase additional equipment. You can pay tax-free payments to employees to cover the additional cost involved with homeworking. 

Working time

Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, the time an employee spends commuting to work does not count as working time. However, for a homeworker, the time spent commuting to the employer’s premises counts as working time. It is important to agree on the working times with the homeworker from the onset. It should be agreed if it will be a strict working time or flexible. If it is flexible core hours should be agreed and if it is fixed then breaks should be agreed on. This will help you ensure your employees are not overworking. Whilst agreeing on the working time it is important to ensure that homeworkers do not exceed the 48-hour limit on their working week and remember the traveling time adds to this. The only exception is if they have opted out of the maximum hours’ limit.

Mortgage provider

There is some mortgage agreement that prohibits the use of the property for business purposes without consent. It is important to remind employees to check their lease and obtain consent from their mortgage provider to work from home where stated. The homeworker should also get confirmation of cover from their home insurer in case a piece of work equipment causes damage. It should also be agreed from the onset if you will cover the extra premium.

Is Homeworking the Right Choice for Your Organization? 

One effect of COVID-19 is the increase in homeworking. This type of flexibility has many benefits to the employer. It reduces cost, increases the quality and quantity of work, gives the company a good reputation, and gives the employer a wider range of choices. Before deciding to allow home working, it is important to consider the initial cost involved, if you can manage employees from home, how to give homeworkers access to their representative and how to handle a homeworker that is also a carer.

You should also be aware of the legal issues involved such as data security, health and safety of homeworkers, support of homeworkers, and basic things that should be agreed on from the outset. With the advancement of technology and the flexibility the 21 st century brings, homeworking is definitely something to consider and implement where appropriate.

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🖋️ Homeworking policy

A homeworking policy is a document that sets out an employer's expectations and requirements for employees who work from home. The policy should cover issues such as health and safety, insurance, work hours, and expenses.

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Remote Working Policy & Best Tips for Remote Workers

The past two years have shown us that, in one form or another , remote work is here to stay. In fact, a recent McKinsey study reported that 9 in 10 companies are switching to a permanent hybrid work model. This makes it more important than ever for employers to implement a remote work policy that clearly outlines the guidelines for working remotely.

• What is a Remote Work Policy?
• What is the Purpose of a Remote Work Policy?
• What are examples of Remote Work Policy?
• Remote Work Policies Checklist
• What is the Right Policy for Your Remote Workers?
• What is a Remote Worker?
• Best tips for Working Remotely
• Best Tools & Software for Remote Workers
• Benefits for Remote Workers
• What are the Risks & Preventions of Working Remotely?

What Is a Remote Work Policy?

A remote work policy is an agreement that outlines expectations and guidelines for working outside the office. This includes who can work from home, what is expected of them, and how performance will be measured. A remote work policy should also define what tools and support are available to employees.

If you offer remote or hybrid working models in your company, then you need to make sure you write and implement a comprehensive policy that covers all aspects of working from home . This will help your employees understand what is expected of them and help you avoid any potential disputes or misunderstandings.

Here are a few examples of questions you should consider before writing your policy:

• Which roles can be performed effectively from a remote location? Which roles can’t?
• How will you monitor hours worked for employees working remotely? If you have hourly employees, how will you ensure they don’t work too much overtime?
• Which policies will employees have to adhere to when working from home? Dress code? Fixed hours?
• What about utilities and equipment? Will you pay some of their electricity and internet bills? Will you provide laptops to remote workers ?
• What tools and software will your employees need? How will you ensure they have access to all the platforms they need? What security measures will you take?
• How will your employees communicate and collaborate?
• How will you measure performance?

The Purpose of a Remote Work Policy

The purpose of a remote work policy is simple: to ensure the smooth running of business operations when employees are not based in the office. You want to clarify the guidelines and expectations that remote workers need to be aware of so that they know what is expected of them, and how they will fulfill their duties. This will help your employees understand their rights and the rules they must follow as remote employees.

The ultimate aim is to optimize your remote workforce while limiting the risks associated with working outside the office. For example, your policies for remote employees should clearly define if there is a need for specific working hours or if the remote employees are allowed to plan their day around their own individual needs.

Your policy should also set specific expectations around communication, equipment and specific security precautions. Defining a clear framework will help you manage employees’ expectations from the outset and make it easier to promote engagement and productivity.

Work from Home: Policy Samples

There are a number of key areas you need to cover in your remote work policy, as we will see shortly with our remote work policy checklist. However, the level of control you exert and the specific content you include will depend on your own internal standards. It will also depend on the type of remote work policy you are implementing.

Here are a few examples of types of policies for working from home:

• Strict policy : where remote workers must follow a strict work schedule, where start and end times and breaks are closely monitored.
• Ad hoc policy : where an employee works from home on an occasional basis when it is appropriate or beneficial to do so. Managers usually have the discretion to approve/deny any work from home requests.
• Allowance-based policy : where employees are allotted a fixed number of days per month when they can work from home. Employees are required to use discretion when scheduling remote workdays so that they don’t miss any important in-office meetings and events.
• Flexible policy : where employees can work remotely as much as they like and come into the office whenever they see fit.

If you are not sure where to start, you can download Factorial’s free remote work policy template and tailor it to your company’s needs. This work-from-home policy template will help you define your rules and regulations around remote work so that you can clearly communicate them to your employees.

Remote Work Policy Checklist

Establish Working Hours & TimeKeeping Process

The first thing to include in your working from home policy checklist is establishing working hours for remote workers. You need to specify if employees need to be available during set hours, or if they can choose their own schedules. If you are offering flexible schedules, then you need to define how staff should communicate availability (calendars, Slack status etc.). This will depend on the nature of your business.

You also need to define how timekeeping will be monitored. Will you use time clock software to monitor and record working hours? What about breaks? This will depend on payroll requirements and if you have salaried or hourly workers.

Define Tools & Equipment

The next thing you need to define in your policy is what telecommuting software and tools for remote workers you are going to provide. You need to make sure your remote workers have access to the right technology so that they can fulfill their individual duties from home. Your employees also need to be able to collaborate with co-workers and communicate with supervisors. The newest software for remote workers includes video conference software, communication platforms, and management tools.

Also, consider what support you will offer in terms of equipment . Does everyone have a computer and internet connection at home? Will you provide equipment or reimburse remote workers? If you are providing company equipment, what standards of use will you set?

The right software, equipment and tools will help your employees optimize their home office and feel a part of the team, regardless of location.

Clarify Which Company Policies Will Apply

It is important to clarify what general rules, regulations and policies will still apply to remote workers.

Company policies and resources that should still apply, regardless of location:

• Code of Ethics
• Attendance Policy
• Professional Code of Conduct
• Sexual Harassment Policy
• Confidentiality Agreement

Discuss How Performance Will be Measured

Another important element of your remote work policy is defining how you will measure the performance and productivity of employees . Decide what performance metrics you will use: completed projects, closed sales, etc.

What software will you use to track productivity? What goals and KPIs will you set? This will depend on the nature of each role.

Determine Communication Practices

Be clear about what you expect of your employees when it comes to communication. How often should they check in? What channels should they use to communicate with their colleagues? Will they be required to attend virtual meetings? What software will they use to manage projects and give remote presentations?

Define Security Measures

The final important element of the working from home checklist that we are going to mention today is security. Make sure you outline all your security protocols to protect company, client and employee data.

Will you use a VPN? Should virtual meetings be password protected? Can employees use personal devices to access company data?

Putting the Right Remote Work Policy in Place

Let’s end by looking at a few best practices you should consider when you write your work from home policy employee handbook. This will help you write a policy that is both relevant and effective so that you can maintain standards across all work environments.

• Be as specific as possible. This document will establish the rules and guidelines for remote workers, so you need to be as clear and straightforward as possible. Use concrete examples so that employees understand your standards and expectations.
• Include a few tips for working remotely so that your employees can create a sustainable work environment that keeps them healthy, focused, and productive. For example, creating a designated workspace, taking regular breaks, and communicating regularly with their teammates.
• Make sure you enforce your policies consistently. Remote workers should deliver the same quality and quantity of work as in-office staff, and you should hold all team members accountable, regardless of location.
• Finally, make sure you review and update your remote work policy on a regular basis. This will help you adapt to new circumstances and evolving technology. It will also help you ensure you comply with any changes to state or federal employment laws.

What Are Remote Workers?

Remote workers are those who can work from anywhere. Often (and especially during COVID), these employees work from home— but they can also work from local cafés, from a hotel in Tahiti, or on the road so long as they had a good cell signal. Remote work previously appealed to employees who wanted a flexible schedule, no commute, and to be a little less stressed.

Now that remote work has become standard practice, many have been able to see the benefits and it looks like there’s no turning back. The remote workers definition has changed to encompass all workers.

Are remote workers more productive? Critics fear that without the watchful eye of a supervisor, employees won’t finish their tasks. However, a 2019 study showed that working from home actually increased productivity . Those working from home found they had fewer distractions at home than they did at the office and were able to get more done. Bonus: workers also reported a better work-life balance. With the time saved with the lack of commute, they were able to exercise more and connect with family.

Tips for Remote Workers

Remote work can have impressive results, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t important challenges to consider. Being away from the office can leave workers feeling isolated and out of the loop. They may have difficulty acquiring the information they need or have trouble relaxing at the end of the day. What is a remote worker to do? Here are our top three tips for remote workers.

Communicate A Lot

Working from home means that employees must be much more conscientious about their communication habits. Your coworkers can’t see what you are doing or pop over to ask a quick question. Remote workers need to be serious about checking in with supervisors and peers, sending updates, and proactively requesting further information. This will help you stay tuned-in to the workplace and equipped to do your best work.

Make Use of Organizational Tools

One reason that remote work has become so popular in recent years is that advances in technology have made it easy for employees to work from anywhere. Take advantage of organizational tools like document managers, productivity timers, and communication platforms. One expert recommends having a shared team calendar with breaks blocked out . That you can make the most of your time together and take breaks when you need them.

Check Out Some Podcasts

It may not seem like it what with the screaming children and stressed significant other, but working from home can be lonely. Podcasts are not only great for staying on top of the news and finding great stories. They also can scratch your out-of-office itch to “chat” with someone else (or have some else chat to you).Listen while you do the dishes, clean the house (only during off-hours!), or lay on the couch. Make sure to also find time to connect with your real friends! No matter how much you love Michael Barbaro on The Daily , he’ll never ask you how your day was.

Get Into Meditation

These are stressful times. Even though you are working from home, it probably feels like you’re running more than ever trying to take care of things. It is important to find time to sit quietly and check-in with yourself. A little inner peace can go a long way.

Start slowly by carving out 3 or 5 minutes in the morning when you wake up or in the evening when you go to bed. Studies show that meditation can do wonders for anxiety and depression. It will help you gear up to take on the day or calm down in time to get a good night’s rest. Our tip for remote working: make time for quiet.

Take a Walk

Remote workers might have a hard time finding the privacy they need. Maybe you didn’t realize it at the time, but the commute to the office and uninterrupted hours at your desk offered a lot of space for thought. Working from home in a house with other people who might be working or schooling from home can build up a lot of steam.

It’s time to take a turn around the block. Get up, get out, and enjoy the fresh air. Stretch your legs and your lungs and so you can get back to work feeling refreshed. Walks are great for whatever spare pockets of time appear in your day. 20 minutes before the meeting? Take a 15-minute stroll to clear your head.

Prioritize Important Projects

While working remotely, workers may want to show that they are still on top of their game by prioritizing work that takes less time . This makes them appear more productive, but can actually be detrimental in the long run. During these uncertain times, you may not be able to get through all the work you would like to.

Make an effort to prioritize important work and long-term projects even if they don’t have as many short-term rewards. Instead of working more, work smart. Concentrate on the tasks that matter. You can use online tools to streamline your workflow and keep you on track.

Make a Plan For Tomorrow

Losing the routine and the structure of working in an office can leave you feeling adrift. There’s a simple way to add back the organization you’ve been craving: at the end of each workday, make a plan for how the next day will go. This is important to do while you have that special end-of-day insight into your needs.

That way, when you sit down to get to work, you already have a roadmap of where to go. You won’t have waste time digging through yesterday’s work, trying to make a plan.

Unplug at the End of the Day

Don’t burn out! Your home may have become your workplace, but you still need mental boundaries to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Set a time to finish working at the end of the day and stick to it. Try to get off the screen right away so that you can leave “the office” behind for the rest of your evening. That way, you’ll be ready to bring your A-game in the morning.

Stay Healthy 

Technically, this first tip isn’t directly related to work but the indirect impact it has on employees’ ability to do great work is massive.

• Encourage employees to get plenty of movement and nourish their bodies with whole, nutritious foods.
• Mentally, support employees to keep a pulse on their emotional wellbeing and implement practices like meditation or therapy to support mental health to whatever extent they need.

Staying healthy doesn’t come with a one-size-fits-all how-to guide, but as a leader, you should let your employees know you support their endeavors to take care of themselves. Depending on your position, it might make sense to do this through a company-sponsored wellness program. Remember, good health is an important baseline for great work.

Celebrate Success

One of the most notable adjustments when transitioning from in-office to remote work is a decrease in the level of visibility. Whereas in the office, employees know their managers see them typing furiously through the day with unbroken focus, at home there are no witnesses.

Even if your team still communicates plenty and regularly reviews one another’s projects, remote work still tends to leave employees feeling hungry for acknowledgment.

One of the best ways to combat this is by formally implementing practices that make it easy for your team to celebrate success through a company-wide social recognition program.  Employee recognition programs make it easy for team members to celebrate one another’s success, and messages of appreciation are displayed in a public social feed so that other employees can chime in with appreciation and revel in the joy of a win.

Adopt a Growth Mindset

Our final recommendation is an important lesson not only for work but for life in general. Studies on the growth mindset show that people who conceptualize talent and other abilities as fixed traits are much less likely to progress and improve compared to people who believe skills can be developed.

The logic is pretty obvious — if you believe there’s no room to improve, why would you try? On the other hand, if you believe your skills can be developed and strengthened, you’re much more likely to seek opportunities for improvement and invest the effort needed to turn those opportunities into growth.

The effects of a growth mindset apply to almost everything in life.

Specifically for working remotely , having a growth mindset means that employees shouldn’t let a couple of off-days or even weeks discourage them from continually working to refine the efficacy of their remote work situation. Some strategies will help, others won’t, and there will almost certainly be challenges along the way — but if you can encourage your team to keep an eye on improvement and hold fast to the belief that they can always continue to grow, you can be much better equipped for success.

Tools for remote workers

Working from home can prove a lot less challenging when you have with the right tools to make your job that little bit easier.

Below we discuss the top tools you need to successfully work from home.

Problem-solving tools

To successfully work remotely you need access to appropriate equipment. This includes essential equipment such as computer screens, keyboards, and routers.

Mental health tools

Mental health is a very relevant issue, however, now it is more relevant than ever. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, mental health issues  rose by 40%  due to the COVID pandemic.

Managers can provide tools to support their employees, such as informing their employees which counselors and psychotherapists are covered under the companies benefits.

Meditation apps such as  headspace  and  InsightTimer  can also help to gain focus and clear employees’ minds.

Brainstorming tools

Mindmapping tools such as  MindMeister  can help brainstorm ideas. List-making software such as    Workflowy  can help you explore thoughts and new ideas deeply whilst recording your ideas in an organized systematic way.

Focus apps can help improve employees’ productivity and concentration levels. These include apps such as  Forest . This app grows a tree on your phone screen and the longer you go without checking your phone the bigger it gets. This motivates you to go as long as possible without getting distracted and also enables you to monitor the frequency in which you get distracted.

Communication tools

There are many excellent communication tools that facilitate group meetings such as  Krisp  – a noise cancellation feature so you don’t need to put yourself on mute in group meetings. Another great app is  Yac , enabling you to send voice notes to your colleagues, facilitating communication

Security Tools

Companies which operate remotwly are more susceptible to security breaches. That is why security tools such as  1password  can be of great use. This password manager tool protects companies from breaches in its security by providing one uncrackable password for each website you have an account for.

Upskill tools

Upskilling employees in this new distance economy can prove very useful for businesses. These include programs such as  Coursera,  which hosts classes from the best universities to develop users’ IT learning. Additionally,  Linkedin Learning  can help users develop skills to further their careers.

Remote Team Benefits

Having workers in different time zones helps offer 24-hour customer service. Hiring remotely also gives employers access to a wider talent pool.  For these reasons, among others, companies and workers are adopting a remote working philosophy within organizations.

Employees who have the opportunity to work remotely feel more valued, relaxed and productive. Also, when an employee feels like the company trusts them to work outside of the office, they often perform better, have a higher output, and are more committed to their job.  Not only that, allowing employees the flexibility to work from home, from time to time or on a more permanent basis, provides them with a greater opportunity for a  healthy work-life balance .

With that said, the main challenge that exists when you have both in-office and remote workers are trying to maintain a cohesive team that is capable of communicating efficiently. When a healthy and effective communication system is implemented, teams are more likely to strengthen their bonds, thus working better together.

Burnout Meaning: What is Employee Burnout?

Employees who are low-energy, disinterested, and indifferent are probably suffering from —you guessed it— job burnout. But what is employee burnout? WHO offers this burnout definition:

a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.

In short, burnout happens when employees maintain high levels of stress for too long. Maybe they have too much to do and too little time, a tough manager with unrealistic expectations, or they don’t have the right tools to get their work done right.

Employee burnout has been exacerbated by the pandemic, as daily work stresses were compounded by the challenges of balancing home life and work in the same setting. Studies show record levels of daily stress and worry have persisted from the start of the pandemic. Employees are burning out now faster than ever.

Who Suffers from Burnout with Remote Work? 

COVID measures keeping workers at home are critical to surviving the pandemic. However, they are taking a toll on employees and disproportionately affecting women, people of color, and those with caregiving responsibilities.

Many mothers are shouldering the increased responsibilities of caring for kids during the pandemic. So it’s no surprise that 9.8 million working mothers in the U.S. report suffering from burnout with work. In fact, working mothers are 28% more likely to experience it than working fathers. This burden doesn’t just lead to low productivity, anxiety, and stress. It is also a contributing factor in the Covid-fueled  exodus of women from the workforce .

Furthermore, workers of color may be experiencing even  more worry and stress than their white counterparts . They are more likely to lose their jobs, both because they represent a large portion of the workforce in industries with high turnover (such as retail and hospitality)  and because of  institutionalized discrimination .

Managers may not be helping workers suffering from WFH Burnout. While research shows that nearly 100% of managers rate themselves as supportive of employees with families, only half of their subordinates agree.

What are WFH Burnout symptoms?

So, how to prevent employee burnout? The first step is to recognize the employee burnout signs. Here are some of the most telling indicators that your employees are suffering from WFH burnout.

• One of the most obvious burnout symptoms is  reduced energy . Burnout saps employee energy and makes every little task seem impossible to overcome. If your employees seem more sluggish and less productive than usual, it may be burnout.
• Lower motivation  can also indicate burnout. Remote workers are especially susceptible to lose sight of the larger picture and feel disconnected. They may feel like nothing they do makes a difference.
• Employees suffering from pandemic fatigue are liable to  make more errors  in their work or turn in work of lower quality. Their attention to detail may be diminished and they won’t be interested in making improvements.

If you notice any of these burnout symptoms in your employees, it’s time to take action. Without help, employee burn out will only get worse.

How Can Leaders Prevent Burnout from Work?

In order to tackle burnout from work, employers need to prioritize employee well-being. These are uncertain times that we live in and employee burnout will be inevitable unless managers take concrete steps to forestall it.

Offer flexible work when possible.

While working from home is supposedly more convenient, remote work no longer entails flexibility. With their whole teams online, some managers want employees to stick to their pre-pandemic schedule. But this old model no longer works for employees who are juggling responsibilities and childcare. Sure, some meetings need to be organized and some decisions need to be synchronous. But many workers would benefit from a truly flexible schedule not tied to the typical nine-to-five. As much as possible, managers should encourage employees to work when they can instead of imposing a strict schedule. This will lead to less stressed, more productive employees.

Provide thoughtful check-ins and performance reviews.

Managers who want to prevent burnout need to check in with employees regularly. Most importantly, they need to offer guidance and support to employees who may be feeling that their work isn’t making a difference. Encourage employees to reflect on their own performance and offer praise for work well done. Be sure to connect their accomplishments with the overarching goals of the business. Using performance management software can help facilitate ongoing discussion  and avoid employee burnout.

Pay attention to time and mental breaks.

We all know that time became a little wonky during the pandemic. March is June; Monday is Thursday; two is five; five is seven. In this Alice in Wonderland timescape, workdays have grown to be  almost an hour longer than they were before the pandemic  . As workers struggle to meet expectations, the best way employers can support them is to make sure that they aren’t overworking.  Make sure your business is using a time tracker  and that your employees are clocking out on time. Encourage them to take breaks throughout the day! Breaks have been shown to improve  not only productivity but creativity .

Bring emotional intelligence to the workplace.

In order to prevent burnout with work, employers need to bring empathy and compassion to the workplace. Employers must cultivate  emotional intelligence in their interactions , practice active listening, and strive to create a culture of trust.  Cultivating a culture of emotional intelligence will help support workers and prevent employee burnout.

Remote work will likely remain a norm even after the pandemic ends. Employers must be proactive in ensuring their employees’ well-being and to make operational changes to support them. By helping those who are most susceptible to pandemic fatigue and burnout, leaders can build better organizations that will last far beyond these difficult years.

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How to draft a Homeworking Policy

Template Homeworking Policy

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, employers adapted by transitioning many employees from office to remote working. Whilst some organisations continue to bring their employees back to the office, or work in a hybrid way, many continue to work 100% remotely as they find it an effectively working model for their business.

For organisations that continue to allow their employees to work from home, a homeworking policy is crucial.

Why do we need a homeworking policy?

Home working, done well, can increase productivity, increase the mental and physical wellbeing of your workforce, and create a greater sense of work/life balance. 

Having a homeworking policy in place will enable you to provide your remote workers with clear guidance regarding important aspects of employment and business including health and safety, data protection, costs and insurance.

What should a homeworking policy include?

You may want to include some, or all, of the following in your Homeworking Policy.

Skills and attributes

Carefully consider the skills and competencies you expect your employees to have to work from home effectively.

For example, you will probably require them to have good organisation skills, to be able to work without direct supervision, and to plan their work effectively. Detail this in your policy so that your expectations are clear when employees are considering making a request to work at home.

Working hours

Be clear about how working hours will be affected by homeworking. Will you have set or core working hours? Will there be some flexibility homeworkers’ working hours? How will you monitor working hours?

Rest breaks

Consider for rest breaks and how these will be managed. It is useful in your policy to refer to the Working Time Regulations 1998 and be clear that employees must take breaks in line with this legislation.

Visits to company premises and to the employee’s home

Consider the purpose of the visits, and how frequently these will be arranged. Stipulate in your policy your requirements for office and home visits.

Stationery and equipment

Set out everything that will be provided by the organisation and what you expect the employee to provide. For example, you may provide computer equipment and a phone, whilst requiring the employee to have their own office furniture.

Internet and telephone connectivity costs

Set out in your policy who will pay for these and if/how the business will contribute to the costs incurred.

Data security

Specifiy in your policy the steps you require home workers to take in order to protect the data of your employees, customers and other stakeholders.

Health and safety

Consider the health and safety of your employees and and how they may be impacted by homeworking.

Insurance, mortage and rental agreements

Be clear in your policy about how you expect employees to deal with their insurance, mortgage and/or rental agreements if they are working from home.

Requests for homeworking

Set out clearly in your homeworking policy how employees should ask to work from home as part of a flexible working request.

The right to request flexible working

Once an employee has completed 26 weeks service with your organisation they have a right to submit a flexible working request (although it is expected to become a day one right for employees in the coming months) and you have a legal obligation to consider the request.

For the purpose of this article, flexible working may be an employee requesting to work from home on a permanent basis, temporary basis or on selected days.

There are many benefits of flexible working for employees as well as for employers, but you need to consider the request against the needs of the business, as well as how it might impact other staff.

If you have a flexible working request and you are unsure whether you can accommodate it you should consider the following.

• Will it add additional costs to the business?
• Will it have a detrimental impact on performance, quality or the service that you offer?
• Will it require re-organising day to day amongst the staff?
• Is there sufficient work for the employee during the hours they will be at home?

Risk Assessments

Health and safety isn’t just in the workplace, it’s at home too. As an employer you have a duty of care to your homeworking employees and the HSE advises that as an employer you must consider the following:

• How will you keep in touch with them?
• What work activity will they be doing and for how long?
• Can it be done safely?
• Do you need to out control measures in place to protect them?

If an employee will be working from home on a long term basis then it is recommended that you complete a workstation assessment .

Communicating with homeworkers

Many employers are quite used to communicating with their employees using electronic devices, via platforms such as MS Teams and Zoom. However, if you are struggling to keep in contact then we recommend the following.

• Consider scheduling a video conference meeting on a weekly basis.
• Arrange regular team meetings and one-to-one check-ins to keep your remote worker engaged.
• Share updates on the company regularly – perhaps through a weekly newsletter

Download our Template Homeworking Policy below to give you a head start on drafting your home working policy.

What can we do to help?

If you would like advice on the implementation of a homeworking policy, please contact our team on 0330 223 5253 or [email protected] . We would be delighted to help you.

We hope you found this guide useful. You may also find the resources below helpful:

Further resources and guides

• How to manage remote teams
• A guide to remote onboarding

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What to Include in a Homeworking Policy

We list some key areas that you may need to address when creating a homeworking policy for a contact centre.

Why Do You Need a Homeworking Policy?

A homeworking policy is written to provide your remote teams with clear guidance on how they can perform their jobs while working from home…

A homeworking policy is written to provide your remote teams with clear guidance on how they can perform their jobs while working from home – either on a part-time or full-time basis.

It covers everything from what is expected of an advisor’s working environment, best working practices, all the way through to insurance considerations.

From a legal perspective, there are also lots of areas to consider – like data protection, health and safety, confidentiality and so much more. All this also needs to be included in the homeworking policy.

There are lots of aspects to consider. So, let’s take things step-by-step…

Start With the “Why”

What is the purpose of this document? It’s always good to start with a few lines that outline your purpose, so whoever picks up the document – whether that’s an agent, leader or manager – knows what to expect from it.

Then briefly summarize why your organization has decided to use remote workers. This can simply be done in bullet point and include factors like:

• To increase schedule flexibility
• To limit the costs of office space and upkeep
• To broaden your recruitment pool
• To reduce the company’s carbon footprint
• To help employees manage their workload and workspace (with clear protocols)

“Understand and outline why you want to go remote and what’s in it for you. Having this framework will allow you to dive much deeper into all of this, in a much more logical way,” says Nadia Harris, an HR Expert at remoteworkadvocate.com .

Address Who Homeworking Is for and Their Responsibilities

Highlight the scope of the homeworking policy. Is it only relevant for one of your contact centres or is it expected to cover your entire contact centre network?

There is also the matter of which roles are suited to remote work. Maybe it is just advisors? This must also be specified.

Which roles are suited to remote work? Maybe it is just advisors? This must also be specified.

However, if your advisor team is working 100% from home, it is advisable to look at whether their team manager should work from home too.

Then highlight the responsibilities of each role when working from home.

For example, some of the responsibilities of an advisor may include:

• Advisors will ensure their manager always knows when and where they are working (although technology can help managers and advisors with this).
• Advisors will take good care of work computer equipment – including laptops and headsets (if provided to them via the company).
• Advisors will comply with all data protection requirements, as well as company standards, security and health and safety requirements.

Also, it can be worthwhile highlighting the role of the HR team in keeping the policy in line with employment legislation, providing advice to advisors and managers on the application of the policy and also updating the document as time passes.

Introduce the Application Process

If your model is built upon switching office workers to remote working, highlighting the formal process for how the employee can apply for homeworking is important – whether it’s on an occasional, regular or permanent basis.

This section of the report should pinpoint the steps that they would have to take.

While there may be more, this application process is typically divided into three stages:

• Completing a form that highlights who is eligible for remote working
• Having a home assessment, so the company can see if the working environment is practical
• Signing a homeworking agreement

These stages need to be briefly outlined in your homeworking policy, as well as a clear onboarding and induction process, which is equally as robust as you would have in a bricks and mortar set-up.

Stipulate What Is Expected of the Homeworking Environment

Before they start remote work, the team member needs to know what is acceptable and what is not.

While you will have noted that employees need to go through a home assessment before they start remote work, the team member needs to know what is acceptable and what is not. This is particularly important if you are providing the advisor with equipment.

A bullet point list may well be enough again here, with criteria that answer questions like:

• What equipment does the employee need?
• How fast must their internet be?
• Is their office space quiet enough and does it meet the organization’s health and safety requirements?

To check that the remote advisor’s workspace meets these criteria, you will likely want to schedule visits to see them. So you should also highlight how the visiting process will work.

Yet, as Pam Molyneux – an HR Business Partner at Sensée – recommends: “Emphasize that an element of trust is going to be exercised but that if that trust is broken, it may be difficult to get it back.”

Create an Attendance Policy

This section of your policy may be very simple. You might just need to specify that staff are expected to work their contracted days unless they are taking an authorized form of leave. It all depends on your work-from-home model.

But there may be other areas to consider, such as:

• Are staff expected to come into the office on a work-from-home day, if the need arises?
• How should staff sign in and out, to indicate their availability across the day?
• How would a potential systems failure impact how the employee’s attendance is recorded?

Remember, guidance should be given to managers, as well as advisors, for each of the situations highlighted above.

Cover Key Contact Centre Working Processes

There are processes that are potentially much harder to navigate at home than in the contact centre. While these should be coached, having it in the policy is another great way to guide everyone involved.

One key example is call escalations. When working in the office, it is fairly straightforward to call a manager over if the caller requests to speak to a manager. But when the agent is remote this can be much harder – if you don’t have the right business processes and technology solutions in place.

So make sure you specify what is expected from everyone involved when it comes to this and other working practices like kit maintenance, taking breaks and signing on/off.

Make sure you specify what is expected from everyone involved.

Just remember, as Pam says: “When it comes to setting management, people engagement, escalation, well-being and other homeworking policies, a great deal of clarity and practicality are required. Indeed, more than one might expect to see in similar policies within a fixed-location setting. It’s important to be crystal clear about what your expectations are.”

Also, you need to consider mobility. Organizations need to ask: do we want our contact handling personnel moving about?

Working from different locations can work if organized effectively. But do you want remote agents answering their front door if a delivery driver rings the bell?

Then there is communication around how advisors should inform their manager if they wish to work from a different location – i.e. a friend’s or family member’s home.

For more advice on dealing with call escalations, read our article: “I’d Like to Speak to a Manager” – 7 Ways to Deal With Difficult Customers

Set Expectations for Communication

It is important that homeworking agents are readily contactable via phone and email during the hours that they work. A statement like this should be built into your homeworking policy.

But there’s much more to it than that.

“Regular touchpoints between personnel at all levels need to take place, as does the review of performance data. Discussing issues in this way will help drive and shape the communications,” says Pam.

Regular touchpoints between personnel at all levels need to take place, as does the review of performance data.

You may also want to specify that homeworking agents must be available for virtual huddles or that they must contribute to your company’s internal communications systems – e.g. Slack.

“Create rules around the use of these tools,” says Nadia. “When do you use what and for which purpose? And also think about how often. Setting clear expectations is the key here.”

Discuss the Provision of Equipment

Will you encourage advisors to use their own laptops and headsets or will the company supply these free of charge?

Then there is installation. What is the employee expected to do and what is the IT team expected to do?

What is the employee expected to do and what is the IT team expected to do?

“If equipment/connectivity is provided by the employee, it needs to be built into the comms that the maintenance of these items is the employee’s responsibility,” adds Pam.

These are just some of the considerations you’ll have to make, and your response may vary in regard to part-time and full-time workers.

For example, with full-time workers you may be more willing to provide them with certain desks, ergonomic chairs, printers, stationery and maybe even a filing cabinet.

Cover Insurance and Liability

Start this section by asking employees to use the equipment given to them responsibly and appropriately, while ensuring that precautions are taken to avoid damage or theft.

If damage or theft occurs, that should be reported to the employee’s leader or manager, as soon as possible.

When staff are working from home, it is advisable to ask the employee to check their home insurance.

Finally, when staff are working from home, it is advisable to ask the employee to check their home insurance.

Also, if you allow remote workers to work in co-working groups – with “meetings” occurring within the household – you will also need to think about liability insurance.

So consider: are staff covered by liability insurance, be that public or private? If so, let them know! But note that this will only be the case if they have followed the advice highlighted in the first two paragraphs of this section.

Add in Your Health and Safety Advice

Health and safety legislation puts responsibilities on employers to ensure that remote employees receive the same protection as office-based staff.

So you may want to create a health and safety self-assessment checklist for employees to fill out before they start working from home. Agents and managers should sign it.

Your policy should highlight where this checklist can be found and what should be done with it, once filled in.

Another approach would be to arrange visits with the homeworker, to ensure their environment is up to code or, more simply, do an inspection via webcam.

Don’t Forget Data Security

Again, this is such a big topic that it needs its own documentation. At its heart, these documents should cover the fact that non-authorized people should not be allowed access to customer data.

Non-authorized people should not be allowed access to customer data.

Your policy must indicate where these documents can be found, as well as who needs to fill them in.

Just make sure that you cover what happens if there’s a remote-working security breach, as Nadia reminds us.

Nadia says: “What is the process if something goes wrong? What happens if there is a data leakage? What happens if the account gets hacked?”

Factor in Expenses

When working from home, employees will incur more costs in terms of electricity, heating, water, etc. You need to note down what employees can claim back for – which will vary depending on which working-from-home model has been employed.

If your organization is unwilling to pay for any of that, give a fair reason. One may be that employees will save a lot of money and time by reducing the work commute, which counteracts any homeworking costs on their behalf.

One final expense to consider is car mileage. If you call remote workers into the office, you will also need to consider whether you pay for car mileage or public transport expenses.

While that might depend on the situation and whether or not the remote worker is full-time or part-time, this should be addressed.

Explain the Termination Process

A homeworking agreement can be terminated, and having this process set out in your homeworking policy can make the process much easier for the homeworker and their manager.

Note that both parties can terminate the agreement but specify how long a notice period needs to be given.

Once the notice period is over, highlight that the employee is expected to return to the workplace to work in the office full-time.

End With an Employee Declaration

At the end of the homeworking policy, it can be good practice to ask the employee to sign a declaration that they have read and understood everything.

This declaration can also be used to emphasize key points that you really want to stress. These may include:

• “I agree to allow the management team access – with prior warning – to assess my homeworking environment.”
• “I understand that homeworking is not a reasonable substitute for childcare and other caring responsibilities.”
• “I understand that the homeworking agreement can be terminated at any point by either myself or my employer.”

Adding a bullet point list of statements like these can work well to reinforce your key messages.

3 Mistakes to Avoid in a Homeworking Policy

Creating a homeworking policy can be a long process and there are many pitfalls that you may fall into along the way.

Nadia Harris has seen many of these pitfalls and below presents her top three mistakes to avoid when creating a homeworking policy.

1. Only Thinking From an Operational Standpoint

Policies often turn into instruction guides for how an employee is to set up at home. Some of this is undoubtedly important, but we also need to be setting expectations for homeworkers.

There needs to be clear expectations around lots of key areas, particularly:

• How often should employees be in communication with managers?
• What should the employee do if they come across a problem?
• What measures should advisors take to protect customer data?

Having these expectations is important, so that advisors feel comfortable in the knowledge that they are doing the right things.

It also ensures that expectations of homeworking employees don’t change from one line manager to the next.

2. Failing to Specify Who Is in Charge of What

Your homeworking policy should be a result of mutual understanding. Everybody should participate in putting the policy together and there should especially be collaboration between the contact centre and the HR department.

Your homeworking policy should be a result of mutual understanding. Everybody should participate in putting the policy together…

By working together, the departments can establish roles for homeworking advisors, managers and the HR team throughout the policy, while creating a mutual understanding for how the policy will be used.

Too often policies are created without input from the contact centre and advisors get different expectations for how they should perform, as there is conflict between what managers and HR expect.

3. Making the Homeworking Policy Too “High Level”

Nadia Harris

The language used in HR policies – like a homeworking policy – can often cause problems, especially when there is lots of jargon that advisors struggle with.

To work to its best effect, the homeworking policy should be easy to read, and advisors should be able to find what they are looking for easily.

So chunk up your policy into clear sections, simplify your language and make expectations clear for everyone involved. Otherwise the policy becomes just another HR initiative.

Examples of Homeworking Policies

Many organizations have published their homeworking policies online, and taking a look through them is a great way to understand how these documents may be formatted.

While these homeworking policies are not necessarily unique to the contact centre, they provide a great resource to those looking for more insights into how to put together a homeworking policy.

You may also find some vital areas to cover which have not been included in our summary.

• East of England Ambulance Services’ Homeworking Policy
• Housing Ombudsman’s Homeworking Policy

For more guidance on getting homeworking right in the contact centre, read our articles:

• 10 Experts Share Their Favourite Advice for Remote Working
• 15 Contact Centre Homeworking Problems and How to Overcome Them
• How to Improve Your Remote Contact Centre Learning Strategy

Published On: 25th Jan 2021 - Last modified: 28th Apr 2023 Read more about - Call Centre Management , Homeworking , hybrid , Team Management

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Homeworking Policy

Fact Checked

Content is reviewed to provide accurate, clear, and reliable information. 

What is Homeworking Policy?

What is the benefits from homeworking.

‘Homeworking’ is simply doing your job from home. It is a method of working which can be relevant to many jobs. It can also mean working part-time from home.

The use of information technology is the essential feature that allows people to work away from the office.

A homeworking policy outlines the guidelines for work-from-home arrangements, such as when they can be granted and when they are prohibited. It also lists considerations a business needs to take into account when establishing a homeworking policy, such as employee seniority and the variety of work tasks.

Work-from-home arrangements may be offered to employees for a variety of reasons. They may be a necessity because a company wants to encourage employees to telecommute or allow them to work flexibly. Work-from-home arrangements may also be offered as a perk to employees. For instance, some companies offer employees a stipend if they work from home.

Homeworking policies are necessary in order to ensure that employees who work from home are productive and do not take advantage of their flexibility. Homeworking policies also help to protect employers from liability in the event that an employee is injured while working from home.

10 Benefits of Working From Home

• Better Work-Life Balance.
• Less Commute Stress.
• Location Independence.
• Improved Inclusivity.
• Money Savings.
• Positive Environmental Impact.
• Impact on Sustainability.
• A Customizable Office.

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• Employment Contract
• Common-Law Test in HR
• Business Necessity
• Garden Leave
• Dismissing an employee
• Paid time off (PTO)
• Deferred Compensation
• Direct Deposit
• ttrition Rate
• Biweekly Pay
• Corporate Social Responsibility ‍
• Disparate Effect

Applications are open to join the next Housing Ombudsman Resident Panel - find out more Housing Ombudsman Resident Panel .

Home working policy and procedure

The purpose of this policy and procedure is to provide a framework of understanding about how home working operates at the Housing Ombudsman Service.

The purpose of this policy and procedure is to provide a framework of understanding about how home working operates at the Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS). It is based upon the principles outlined below, which also meet the requirements of all relevant employment legislation and support a new and modern way of working

HOS recognises that for mutual benefit homeworking is an option for many job roles within HOS. We promote flexible working for all staff and will agree to an employee working partly or wholly from home where appropriate. This policy defines what home working means for HOS, what needs to be in place to ensure the wellbeing of employees. It is the HOS's policy to encourage open discussion with employees to ensure that questions and problems can be resolved as quickly as possible.

The policy and procedure apply to all employees and agency temps. For the policy to be effective, it is essential that colleagues and those involved in the management of colleagues are aware of the policy and procedure and adhere to it. Ultimately it is the responsibility of the Senior Leadership Team in conjunction with the Head of Human Resources to ensure that this is the case.

3. Core Principles

HOS will provide appropriate training and support to those involved in the management of colleagues. Any colleague at a management level should satisfy themselves that they understand the requirements of this policy and the related policies and procedures.

HOS will promote best practice in the management of home working. It will regularly review its provisions to ensure that they are legally compliant and reflect best practice.

HOS will support home working, and this will be agreed between the line manager and the individual taking into consideration team and business needs. Individual needs for flexibility will also be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Whilst home working, employees must take responsibility for their work during HOS office hours; the system is reliant on there being trust between managers and employees. This is so fundamental that any breach of trust will be treated very seriously and may be regarded as misconduct. Appropriate action may follow under the Disciplinary Policy.

Working at home is a benefit available to all staff and not a requirement, days must be agreed in advance with the line manager. There will be some circumstances where working from home a viable option is not or where the operational needs necessitate a different approach.

4. Types of home working

There are various ways that home working may operate, ranging from rare occasions that arise and do not form a routine, to formal arrangements that are identified as such in the contract of employment:

4.1  Occasional Home Working

Taking work home occasionally, on an ad hoc basis, to concentrate on a particular project or task may be suitable in the following circumstances: Where a specific task need dedicated and focused input and/or could be dealt with more efficiently at home e.g., saved travelling time and lack of interruptions; Where it is difficult for colleagues to get in to work e.g., adverse weather, or a short but unavoidable commitment at home

4.2  Hybrid Working

Working from home 20 to 80 percent of the time on a regular basis, the individual would come into the office for the balance of time. Colleagues permanent place of work would be both an office location and their home address.

Please note that hybrid working is subject to desk availability. Please refer to the desk booking process.

4.3  Permanent Home Working

Working from home 100 percent of the time (see 5.1 with regards to required attendance). This may be suitable where the job can be done just as effectively and efficiently from home.

5. Job Roles and Requirements

HOS believes that some roles lend themselves to homeworking more readily than others under homeworking, roles can be undertaken from the office or home. The balance between office and home working will vary depending on the role and the person concerned, and the days which are office-based days, and which are home- based days will be agreed.

Your principal residence must be within the United Kingdom.

5.1 Attendance at the Office

All colleagues will be required to attend the office or other suitable venue on occasion. Reasons for this may be – but are not limited to; colleague events and/or quarterly directorate meetings, training (where not available or appropriate to be held online), team meetings (if and when reasonably requested by line manager and when not appropriate to be held online), issues concerning performance management.

Senior managers may also need to attend meetings such as Advisory Board, DLUHC Accounting Officer meeting, ARAC etc.

It is anticipated that colleague events and directorate meetings will be a mix of in person and online events, resulting in attendance in the office for these events once a quarter. A degree of flexibility is required, and HOS will endeavour to give

reasonable notice for any request to attend the office or an alternatively suitable venue.

5.2 Employees in probation period

Homeworking will be available to all colleagues, including those in probation

6. Home Working in Practice

Your principal residence must be within the United Kingdom

Requests can be made for a short period of working abroad to be added to a period of annual leave. Each request will be assessed individually and in line with the Working Abroad policy.

Colleagues, where home working is mutually agreed will be asked to complete an agreement that they understand their responsibilities and those of HOS while working at home. This includes the areas covered below. Annex 1 lays out the Home Working Agreement that should signed by the colleague and the line manager. This will be held in the colleague's personnel folder on the HR system.

6.1  Insurance Cover

Colleagues should ensure that all HOS property is used appropriately and responsibly and that all reasonable precautions are taken to prevent damage and theft. Any damage or theft of HOS property must be reported to the line manager immediately.

Colleagues working at home are covered by HOS’s Employer’s Liability Insurance and Public Liability Insurance providing the rules of this policy have been followed.

6.2  Communication and Contact

Communication arrangements must be robust. Colleagues working from home should be readily contactable, normally by email, Teams and by telephone, during normal working hours. Home workers must let their line manager or colleagues know in advance (where appropriate) of any times they will be out, seeking permission where appropriate.

We will expect a homeworker to contact their line manager on a regular basis as agreed in advance [i.e., once a day/twice a week]

6.3  Information Security

All colleagues working from home must ensure that they adhere to HOS’s policies, procedures, and guidance in relation to Information Security, Data Protection and Freedom of Information.

The home worker will have a direct responsibility for all HOS information material held at their home and must ensure that it is not accessible to non-authorised people (e.g., other members of the household). All colleagues will be expected to follow Housing Ombudsman Service’s information security policies and procedures at all times.

6.4  Health and Safety

The work that colleagues will be carrying out at home is paper-based or computer- based work and in general such work is not high risk. Nevertheless, HOS has responsibilities under health and safety legislation when colleagues are working from home This includes the requirement to undertake the online Display Screen Equipment training and self-assessment.

Staff will be provided with equipment which is appropriate for their job roles and in line with any reasonable adjustments that an individual has.

Colleagues should refer to the Equipment Policy for any other requirements

7. Attendance and availability for work

Colleagues must be available and able to work on their contracted days whether they are in the office or working from home unless absence is for an authorised form of leave or sickness. Any variation to this arrangement can only be made by prior agreement with the manager.

Colleagues should remember that the needs of the customer, and the service will always take priority.

Where a colleague is being asked to attend the office at short notice, managers should endeavor to make the call at a time that enables the employee to arrive at their normal starting time. Where this is not possible the employee’s travelling time will be considered as part of their working day.

Colleagues should log in to the IT and telephony system to clearly indicate their availability status throughout their working day. This entails ensuring that outlook calendars are kept open, accessible to colleagues and are up to date.

As a rule, colleagues are expected to work in the same way, whether they are in the office or working from home. For example, if they would usually be available to answer the telephone, respond to emails etc. during the hours the service operates (usually between 9.15am – 5.15pm) they will be expected to do this when working from home, unless a change is agreed with their line manager. Whether or not the line manager agrees to a change, will depend upon the circumstances of the request and its impact on the team and service delivery.

In the case of a systems failure, colleagues should contact their manager, who will need to establish the extent of the system failure, the impact on the service and decide on the appropriate course of action. In some cases, this will involve seeking advice from senior management. Managers should activate their business contingency plans as appropriate.

8. Patterns of work

The days those colleagues work in the office or work from home will be organised, planned, and agreed in advance with their line manager. This will not be in a public place i.e. library or internet café.

The needs of the service will always take priority, however a collaborative approach between management and colleagues is more likely to achieve a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Ultimately the manager will have the responsibility for ensuring that service needs take priority; those colleagues are treated fairly and are trusted to take responsibility for themselves and their work when working from home.

Managers will, in consultation with colleagues, decide a pattern that best meets the needs of the service.

Colleagues who are not permanent home workers must understand that these patterns are subject to change; there is no entitlement to work from home on specific days of the week. Consequently, employees must be ready to alter their working pattern if required and should be wary of making any commitments on homeworking days as these may need to change.

The arrangements for the scheduling of rotas will vary to suit operational needs. Rotas will also need to be reviewed to consider new starters and leavers.

Working from home is not a substitute for caring for dependents. Colleagues are expected to have made alternative arrangements for the care of their dependents during their working day.

9. Exceptions from home working

  HOS recognises that there are circumstances where home working may not be possible.

The following are examples of where managers may consider making exceptions. This is not an exhaustive list and advice may need to be sought from HR depending on the circumstances.

9.1  Staff who require specialist equipment.

There will be a priority seating for staff who have special requirements and where hot-desking is not appropriate. However, HOS does not want to prevent them from having the same opportunities as other staff to work from home

In discussion with the individual, and seeking advice, managers should take individual circumstances into account and ensure that staff are treated fairly and according to their particular needs.

• Staff whose personal circumstances are not conducive to home working. There could be a number of reasons where working at home is not possible for a member of staff, e.g., shared flats/houses, insufficient space, someone else caring for children/relatives in the home, In the short-term, they may need to attend the office more frequently than other colleagues and managers are expected to manage this in consultation with other team members.

The HOS operates a 35-hour working week. The scheme of flexible working hours will continue to operate. Employees will work their contractual hours whether, or not, they are working in the office or from home.

It is expected that standard office hours will continue to be 09.15 -17.15 for most services. Staff will therefore be required to work hours that facilitate and enable the operation of the services.

Hours can be worked flexibly in line with service needs and with the agreement of the line manager to achieve a better work life balance. Managers will therefore need to consider the suitability of flexitime within the operational demands of the service.

Where flexitime is operating, the scheme will be applied as set out below. Managers may make minor changes to meet particular needs.

Flexitime is not restricted to days worked in the office; Consistent extra hours need to be agreed with line managers.

Flexi-time scheme:

• Bandwidth hours: 00 – 18.30 unless otherwise agreed with your manager via a flexible working request
• Core time: 00 and 16.00 unless otherwise agreed with your manager via a flexible working request
• A normal working day unless pre agreed
• Lunch break: There is no set time for lunch but a break of at least 30 minutes must be taken; for standard office hours this would normally be between

12.00 and 14.15.

• Flexi-day: A maximum of two flexi days (pro-rata for part-time staff) in a month may be taken off by prior arrangement with the manager.
• When taking a half day or full day of flex leave this should be recorded on the HR system and approved by the line manager
• Carry over of hours in credit or debit: The allowance of 14 hours worked above, or below accountable hours may be carried over between accounting periods. This figure is pro-rata for part-time staff.
• Additional hours: These are hours that have been previously agreed to be worked outside the bandwidth.
• Timesheets: It is good practice that a timesheet be completed each day to the nearest 5 minutes. They should be approved by line manager and available for examination when required.

11. Sickness Absence

Where an employee is unable to work due to sickness, they must on the first day of absence, contact their manager at the earliest opportunity.

As a guide working from home is not to be used as a substitute for a working in the office day, when an employee feels “under the weather” i.e., they feel unable to

make the journey into the office but feel able to continue their normal work from home. Last minute changes could impact on other team members and are therefore difficult to accommodate.

It is however recognised that there may be times or circumstances where such requests may be agreed by exception. In their discussion the manager should consider the hours the employee expects to be able to work and their likely output before determining whether it is appropriate for the employee to work from home in this situation. It is also imperative that the employee has the necessary equipment at home to be able to do this (i.e., laptop etc.,).

An employee who has reported in as sick and will have it recorded as such, is not expected to work either in the office or at home. Managers should be respectful of this.

12. Performance

Working from home relies on outcome-based management. This means that staff are managed based upon their results. To achieve this staff are expected to deliver outcomes within their contractual hours. The arrangements for how hours are worked will be agreed in advance with line managers.

This approach will require a strong commitment by managers and employees to plan and ensure that regular 1-2-1 meetings take place and relevant targets are used to represent the outcomes required.

Working from home requires some changes in relationship between employees and their managers. As a result, there are different responsibilities for all staff. All responsibilities are set out below.

12.1  Employees will:

• Agree working arrangements with their manager (and in consultation with other team members where appropriate)
• Ensure that their manager knows when and where they are working at all times
• Ensure their Outlook calendar, Microsoft Teams presence, and telephone presence is up-to-date, and their working status is known at all times
• Meet agreed work objectives, deadlines, and monitoring arrangements, with a focus on outcomes and achievement
• Take care of HOS equipment such as laptops, particularly when travelling or working from home. Any loss, damage or theft must be reported to the manager and the police if appropriate.
• Comply with the IT security and data protection requirements
• Complete the Responsible for Information eLearning training module, and all other mandatory data protection related training.
• Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and follow the guidance in the online Display Screen Equipment training, and other health and safety arrangements and procedures

12.2 Managers will:

• Ensure that safe working practices are understood by employees and that they have the tools they need to do their jobs effectively
• Ensure, in consultation with other managers, that working arrangements mean we do not exceed our desk capacity on any one day.
• Plan which colleagues are working in and out of the office on any given This will necessitate thinking creatively about how home working could work for their staff.

12.3 Managers will ensure that their team:

• Understand that for employees who are not permanent home workers it is not compulsory to work from home, but that it is an available benefit
• Have access to the appropriate technology to work effectively both in the office environment and from home
• Have access to appropriate training and support to work effectively in the new ways
• Take responsibility for creating a safe working environment when working from home
• Have access to appropriate support equipment to assist in the creation of a safe working environment when working from home
• Have SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely) objectives, priorities and targets which can be measured in line with the Performance Reviews, as well as clarity about the outcomes expected of their job role
• Have their individual circumstances and requirements (particularly where an employee has a disability) taken into account, including the needs of newly appointed colleagues, trainees and apprentices who may initially need to come into the office more often for support rather than working at home
• Have access to continuous performance review process which includes regular 1:1 conversations and/or supervision
• Ensure that information governance and health and safety requirements are adhered to at all times

13. Recruitment

Working within a home working environment requires particular skills. It is therefore important that these are incorporated into JD/PS when making new appointments.

As services move to home working the following criteria should then be applied and assessed as part of the normal selection process.

13.1 Managerial posts

The HOS home working policy means that staff may be managed remotely. Managers must therefore be able to:

• tailor their management style as appropriate to the needs of dispersed teams/ employees
• understand and apply different strategies for the effective management of performance by outcomes
• set clear SMART objectives for colleagues within a working environment
• address conflicting needs of colleagues in a fair and equitable manner that engenders confidence and trust

13.2 All other posts

The HOS home working policy allows colleagues to work from home. To be able to do so you must:

• demonstrate your ability to complete targets/objectives through independent working and problem solving,
• Make effective use of time management and prioritising skills

13.3 HOS website

The careers page on the HOS website will be updated to reference the home working strategy. Interview panels should however be prepared to provide a fuller explanation of how home working operates within the team.

13.6 New starters

The induction and probationary procedures should be applied to new employees in accordance with the respective policies. Managers will however need to ensure that these employees receive an induction that incorporates the Home Working Policy and Protocols and how these operate within their service area.

14. Expenses and travel

14.1 equipment.

The equipment policy details which home working equipment HOS considers essential for home working safely. It details the eligibility criteria and pre-approved maximum reimbursement costs.

Where there is a medical reason or reasonable adjustment to enable the employee to carry out the duties of the post, this will be addressed via the online DSE assessment for homeworking. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

14.2 Travel expenses

Travel between an employee’s home and a permanent workplace is not considered business travel and therefore expenses for such journeys cannot be claimed. An employee’s permanent workplace is considered to be that which is stated in their contract of employment.

Where an employee has approval to work from home and their employment base remains unchanged, then travel expenses to and from their normal office base may not be claimed. Travel to any temporary workplace may be claimed.

For employees who have their contractual base office changed to “home”, and who travel to and from any temporary workplace, including to any company office or client site, in the performance of their duties, may claim business travel expenses for such journeys. It should be noted however, from a tax perspective, that a temporary workplace may become a permanent workplace if the employee attends regularly or follows a pattern.

14.3 Tax Guidance

It is anticipated that, in the majority of cases, the costs of working from home will be offset by the savings in the cost and time of commuting to work, and the benefits of an improved work/life balance. Therefore, any costs incurred by working at home will not be met by the HOS.

Colleagues should refer to HMRC for any ta guidance for homeworkers.

Published March 2022

Helpful Links

• Home Working Policy -Annex 1 ( pdf ) ( pdf, 0.15 MB)

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