Employers guide to home working updated

A new version of our four page 'Employers’ guide to ergonomic home working' has been updated to reflect changes from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The main area to note is confirmation that employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as for any other workers, the guidance states that:

As any period of temporary home working extends, employers should have regular discussions with workers to assess whether additional steps are needed, for example where they report:

• aches, pains or discomfort related to their temporary DSE arrangements
• adverse effects of working in isolation, on remote IT systems
• working longer hours without adequate rest and recovery breaks

‘For those people who are working at home on a long-term basis, the risks associated with using DSE must be controlled. This includes doing home workstation assessments.’

Where employers decide to make working from home arrangements permanent, they should explain how to carry out full workstation assessments and provide workers with appropriate equipment and advice on control measures. If employees are provided with a budget to buy their own equipment, this should not be done without proper guidance on how to select appropriate furniture and accessories to support their needs.