Remote Working and Your Employer

Nearly three-quarters of home workers want to avoid a return to office-based work on a full-time basis.

That’s the findings of research conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health, which found 74% of respondents were keen to maintain some form of home working in their short, medium, and long-term future at their current company.

Perhaps more disturbing for employers, one in four were working from either a sofa or a bed, which can lead to developing musculoskeletal problems.

But did you know you can make a claim for personal injury if you’ve had an accident at home while in the process of carrying out your work duties?

What is your employer’s responsibility if you work from home?

This depends on the nature of your work and the duties that you will carry out in your home:

• The organisation should conduct or facilitate a risk assessment to mitigate, as much as possible, any potential risks or hazards in your remote workspace
• If you require any reasonable adjustments to conduct your work duties then your employer should ensure these are in place
• Your employer should ensure any equipment provided is checked and tested for suitable functionality and isn’t faulty before distribution
• Good working practice would also see your employer provide a display screen equipment assessment so you can work comfortably and without a posture that may promote injury further down the line.

Managing a home working environment

The Health and Safety Executive provide detailed guidance on what employers can and should do to support home workers when ensuring a safe working environment.

They should seek to encourage staff to visually check for damage to sockets, plugs or leads used with work devices and that those work devices provided are safe to use.

A diligent employer will provide advice on how to minimise slips and trips around this workspace to avoid injuries involving trailing cables, other obstructions, and spillages.

Unsure if you can make a claim?

If you think you may be eligible to make a claim, call the dedicated team at Winns and speak to a legal advisor who will be able to assess your circumstances. Working on a no-win no fee basis, we’re ready to help you every step of the way.

If you’ve had an accident while working from home, call us for a no-obligation chat.

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