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Working from home can be a temporary arrangement or an ongoing agreement between the employer and the worker which allows workers to perform work at their home. No matter what arrangement has been made, under the Occupational Safety and Health legislation, both the employer and the worker have a responsibility to ensure the work is done in a safe manner.
Before commencing a working from home arrangement it is good practice to establish, in consultation with the worker, a work from home agreement. All agreements should be considered on a case by case basis. The agreement can include:
Working from home may change, increase or create safety and health risks. To understand these risks, you must consult with workers.
Possible new risks include:
Employers need to do what is reasonable to manage the risks to a worker who works from home.
In developing an agreement, consider systems of work that can be put in place to minimise safety and health risks. They include (but are not limited) to the following:
Systems of work should as far as practicable reduce psychosocial risks such as isolation, reduced social support from managers and colleagues, and fatigue.
Although the worker is responsible for the safety of their home environment, the employer can request as part of the working from home agreement that workers complete a self-assessment of the work space.
Where possible, an employee should have a dedicated space they can use to work, which has sufficient space for emergency entry and exit, and is set up to reduce distractions.
Factors to consider in assessing the workspace include:
The Occupational Safety and Health legislation requires the employer to provide adequate supervision. It is important to maintain contact with employees who are working from home. Employers should ensure clear and regular communication is established between the supervisor and employee and among team members to:
To assist your worker’s transition to working from home the following training or information should be provided:
DMIRS - A guide to setting up your workstation
DMIRS - Workstation ergonomics self-assessment
DMIRS - Sample - Work From Home - Occupational Safety and Health Self-assessment
Labour Relations - Teleworking hints and FAQs
Health and Safety Executive UK - Protect home workers
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