Nowadays, many people work away from the traditional office environment through the use of modern technology. The Government estimates that there are now more than two million ‘teleworkers’ in the UK who do some work from home, an increase of 65 per cent in the last four years. The Department of Trade and Industry (now the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform), in conjunction with the Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry, therefore produced a code of practice to safeguard the rights of such workers.
The guidance sets out the legal requirements on a variety of employment issues including:
• health and safety issues, including ensuring that all electrical equipment complies with health and safety regulations and a proper risk assessment is carried out;
• allowances, expenses and tax matters;
• recruitment, training and career related issues;
• support for employees who may feel isolated when working from home;
• information security.
The code also gives examples of best practice for employers wishing to offer more flexible working conditions by allowing employees to work from home.
If you are considering having some of your employees work from home, do not forget that you still have legal responsibilities, in spite of the fact that they work in their own premises and not yours. For individual advice, contact <<CONTACT DETAILS>>.
The guidance sets out the legal requirements on a variety of employment issues including:
• health and safety issues, including ensuring that all electrical equipment complies with health and safety regulations and a proper risk assessment is carried out;
• allowances, expenses and tax matters;
• recruitment, training and career related issues;
• support for employees who may feel isolated when working from home;
• information security.
The code also gives examples of best practice for employers wishing to offer more flexible working conditions by allowing employees to work from home.
If you are considering having some of your employees work from home, do not forget that you still have legal responsibilities, in spite of the fact that they work in their own premises and not yours. For individual advice, contact <<CONTACT DETAILS>>.
