homeworking risk assessment

How To Carry Out a Home Working Risk Assessment

Advances in technology have enabled opportunities for home working to rise exponentially in recent years and the number of people who work regularly from home has risen to around 4.2 million.

The benefits are well-documented for employees in terms of saving time and travel costs, lowering stress levels, and for employers, collaboration and a widespread diverse talent pool and increased productivity. Alongside new opportunities, a home-working workforce presents us with challenges, particularly when managing health and safety.

Read on to find out more about the potential challenges and how a home working risk assessment can help you manage them, therefore, protecting you, your staff and your business.

Who Is Responsible For Carrying Out a Home Working Risk Assessment?

Under UK health and safety legislation, the employer has a legal responsibility to protect the health and safety of all workers and that includes home workers. By carrying out a home worker’s risk assessment, employers will be able to identify and then deal with, any health and safety risks as far as is “reasonably practicable”.

What Is a Home Working Risk Assessment

A home working risk assessment should check whether the proposed home worker’s place of work is suitable. Much work carried out at home is going to be low-risk, office-type work so any risk assessment will consider:

The Homeworking Environment

A home worker risk assessment must assess the suitability of space. There should be enough space for work to be carried out comfortably. Often spaces used for homework such as attic rooms or basements, are not suitable because of poor lighting or inadequate ventilation so an assessment should also include ventilation, lighting and temperature. Assessing the workspace should also include removing trip hazards such as trailing leads.

For any regular DSE user, the workstation must be assessed. A legally compliant workstation including a suitable chair is a must. Additional equipment such as a monitor stand or footrest may be necessary and the need for these identified by the assessment.

Training staff to carry out their own assessment is the easiest way to ensure you meet legal guidelines to provide a safe work area. Self-assessment is also a great solution for mobile workers working in different locations. Interactive DSE self-assessment online can help you with this. If concerns are raised on completion, then a DSE assessment with a competent assessor is in order.

Supplying and Maintaining DSE and Other Electrical Equipment

Of the work equipment used at home, employers are only responsible for the equipment supplied. If company equipment is used, for example, a computer with internet access, the employer will have to consider what systems need to be put in place to monitor its use including privacy and security measures. Though it isn’t possible to be wholly responsible for electrical equipment in an employee’s home, equipment supplied does need to be inspected and maintained. The HSE has published guidance on electrical safety in offices .

Mobile Equipment

Where staff are mobile and expected to carry equipment to different locations, there is a risk of manual handling injury. Frequent laptop users should also minimise the time they spend using the laptop and ensure they take regular breaks. Other practical ways to reduce any manual handling risk could include providing:

• Smaller and lightweight equipment
• Backpack-style laptop cases or wheeled cases
• Detachable small keyboard
• Manual handling training

Fire Safety

A home worker risk assessment will check that flammable materials (e.g. paper) and ignition sources such as cigarettes are carefully controlled. Anyone working from home also needs to have a working and regularly checked fire alarm/smoke detector and a fire escape plan in place.

If work is low-risk, such as desk-based work home workers do not require any first aid equipment beyond normal domestic needs. Read more from the HSE .

Stress and Mental Wellbeing

With the explosion in mental health problems, we must ensure mental health is a priority right now. Forging close bonds with co-workers is beneficial to our mental health and employees need to be made aware that home can lead to limited social contact resulting in a feeling of isolation and even depression. Employers need to combat this by taking steps to ensure remote workers feel part of a team. Practical ways employers can achieve this could include:

• Having regular meetings with management
• Requesting home workers spend at least one day in the office
• Building a network of lone workers and with other remote workers.
• Access to helplines and advice.
• Online meetings/skype.
• Sending newsletters,
• Being included in social occasions.

Furthermore, achieving a sensible work/life balance is essential for good mental health. Being endlessly connected to work by our phones blurs the boundaries between our work life and our personal life. This makes it difficult to switch off and relax in turn leading to people working longer hours than they ordinarily would in a traditional office setting. Employers should give staff some guidance in maintaining a personal/home life separate from work. Some simple solutions could be using a dedicated phone just for business use which can then be turned off at the end of a working day. Task management and time management training can also be useful in equipping people with the skills needed to effectively manage their time.

Working Alone

Working alone (as home workers/remote workers often do) presents further challenges concerning personal safety and mental health. There should be measures in place should anyone working alone have an accident, become unwell or be assaulted. Precautions such as a buddy system ensure any risk is minimised and emergencies rapidly identified.

Putting in place clear, consistent management systems will reduce the risks home workers face, but it’s only through regular monitoring that you can be sure risks are being controlled adequately.

Related Posts

The Complete Guide to Health and Safety For Lone Workers

Hybrid Working: The Best Of Both Worlds

Top Tips For Homeworkers

Fill out our contact form or call us on 0370 118 8000 to find out how we can help you

Worksafe (UK) Ltd 32 Bloomsbury Street London WC1B 3QJ

0370 118 8000

• [email protected]

DSE Assessor Training

Fire Safety Training

First Aid Training

Manual Handling

Mental Health

Helpful Links

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans

Privacy & Cookies

Terms & Conditions

Jobs & Careers

• Follow @worksafeuk

Copyright © 2024 Worksafe UK

Understand a Home Working Home Risk Assessment – What It Is, How to Conduct One, and More

• Matthew Channell
• April 20, 2024

Explore This Post

Home » The TSW Blog » Health and Safety » Understand a Home Working Home Risk Assessment – What It Is, How to Conduct One, and More

Work-from-home (WFH) culture has single-handedly reshaped the future of business operations, for both better and worse.

In 2023, 473,000 UK workers were reported to suffer from work-related musculoskeletal disorder (MSD)—a health condition affecting nerves, muscles, and tendons—made worse by amateur workspace setups. This is an increase of 3,000 cases from the previous year.

Although working from home is more flexible, improves work-life balance, and is cost-effective, it can raise severe employee health and safety concerns. With over 40% of employees in the UK working remotely today, conducting a periodic working from home risk assessment is crucial for employers, now more than ever.

This blog offers a comprehensive overview of home working risk assessments, including their purpose, how and who can carry out risk assessments, and their core benefits to both companies and employees.

Ready to train your staff to be safe and healthy when working remotely? Enrol today in TSW Training’s NEBOSH-accredited Health and Safety courses , designed to safeguard businesses and workers in today’s fast-changing workplace culture.

What is a Home Working Risk Assessment?

According to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 , it’s every employer’s responsibility to safeguard their remote workers’ health, safety, and well-being. On that note, a working from home risk assessment is a structured process for identifying and assessing potential hazards in an employee’s remote workplace.

The HSE’s survey data reveals that in 2022-23, 23.7 million working days were lost in Great Britain due to work-related MSDs (16.1 million days) and stress, anxiety, or depression (6.6 million days). These issues can be proactively addressed by conducting a home working risk assessment to detect possible stressors and ergonomic risks in home working setups.

How Often Should Home Working Risk Assessments Be Reviewed?

Home working risk assessments are ongoing processes, not a one-time event. Employers are legally obligated to conduct regular assessment reviews , especially in scenarios such as the following:

• Personal events that affect the workplace, e.g., new housemates, renovation, etc.

As companies are responsible for their staff’s well-being , arranging reviews helps verify the relevance of their working from home risk assessments.

What Are Safe Work Practices at Home?

Generally, working from home sounds like a very low-risk work culture compared to on-site. However, research from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) reveals that more accidents occur at home than anywhere else, averaging around 6,000 deaths per year.

On that note, here are some important areas to consider for safe work practices in a home workplace:

Ergonomics (While Working on a Computer)

Creating a dedicated workspace with a comfortable chair, an adjustable desk (not mandatory), and a monitor at eye level is important for workers to maintain good posture during work hours. This practice dramatically lowers the risk of MSD disorders, such as back pain, neck strain, and repetitive strain injury.

Work-related Equipment Safety Checks

Don’t overload plug outlets with extension cords, and ensure all work-related electrical equipment is PAT ( Portable Appliance Testing ) inspected. Identify your home’s fire escape routes and ensure they are unobstructed. Keep a fire extinguisher close at hand, and test smoke alarms regularly.

Mental Wellbeing Practices for Workers

Working remotely can be stressful. Protecting employee mental health is a key step in establishing a safety culture in the workplace, whether it’s remote or on-site.

As an employee, you should familiarise yourself with the policies and resources the firm offers if you choose to work from home.

Stay engaged with coworkers, talk openly with your management, take breaks during the day, and use your vacation time for your mental well-being. Set a regimen and avoid working outside your designated hours.

DSE (Display Screen Equipment) Protection

As per law, employers must protect their workers from Display Screen Equipment-related health risks , primarily caused by overusing computers, laptops, and mobiles.

While working remotely, take regular pauses from screen work, perform eye exercises, and maintain good posture to reduce the risk of eye strain and other DSE-related disorders.

Who Carries Out Risk Assessments While Working From Home?

According to the Health and Safety Act at Work Act 1974, employers are responsible for undertaking risk assessments for home working settings. Employers must also conduct a comprehensive work-from-home risk assessment under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 .

Note that employees are occasionally required to participate, e.g., by following clear instructions and checklists given by companies to self-assess their home workspace. At the end of the day, the employer is still responsible for the ultimate risk assessment review and approval.

Not sure where to begin? Connect with us at TSW Training today to protect your staff from remote working risks with our Health and Safety training courses.

Types of Home Working Risks and Hazards

As discussed, MSDs caused by prolonged sitting, improper posture, and inadequate workstation ergonomics remain the most common health risks associated with remote working.

On that note, here are five other common risks associated with working from home in a nutshell:

1. Slips, Trips, and Falls

The risk of slips, trips, and falls (caused by uneven flooring, wiring, cluttered workspaces, etc.) causes serious injuries. In 2022, these incidents led to 30% of all non-fatal workplace accidents .

2. Eye Strain

Extended periods of gazing at screens without taking breaks can cause eye strain, headaches, and impaired vision.

3. Electrical Hazards

Risks of shock or fire can arise from inadequately maintained electrical equipment, overloading circuits, and mishandling extension cords. In 2022, Great Britain alone witnessed over 335 fatalities caused by fire.

4. Emotional & Psychological Health Risks

Difficulties turning off from work, loneliness, and social isolation can all have a detrimental effect on one’s mental and emotional health.

5. Privacy and Data Security

Phishing schemes, weak data protection protocols, and unsecured Wi-Fi networks can jeopardise confidential company data. UK citizens lose an average of £1,169 every year , falling victim to cybercrime.

Now, let’s look at how employers can conduct a working from home risk assessment to avoid such hazards.

How to Perform a Home Working Home Risk Assessment

As mandated by the Health and Safety Executive laws , employers must ensure their risk assessment covers remote workers. On that note, here’s a detailed guide to how to perform a working from home risk assessment:

Step 1: Consultation With Staff and Data Collection

Communicate with the worker to learn more about their home office.

Learn about what type of work is being done, the tools being utilised, and the assigned workspace. Wrap up by giving the staff an in-depth overview of the risk assessment process and its goal.

Step 2: Spotting Possible Risks at Home Workspace

First, analyse any risks associated with workstation configuration, such as:

• Restricted legroom, etc.

Next, assess any electrical hazards (overloaded sockets or unsecured cables), external factors (noise distractions or high temperatures), and workplace stress -related psychosocial risks (social isolation or extended working hours) that collectively influence employee well-being.

Step 3: Risk Assessment and Control Methods

Once potential hazards are identified, measure their likelihood and severity. Collaborate with the employee to create effective control methods. Control their work-induced physical and mental stress by setting up ergonomic workstations, installing footrests or headphones, or setting clear communication guidelines.

Step 4: Documentation and Review of Risk Assessment

As per the British Safety Council , employers must keep a record of the risk assessment’s findings – dangers found, control measures put in place, and any additional steps needed to be taken.

Give the employee a copy of the completed risk assessment form for their records. Review the risk assessment periodically to ensure it stays effective, especially if the employee’s workspace or equipment changes.

Perform working from home risk assessments and protect your staff from remote working risks like a responsible employer. Contact us at TSW Training today to enrol in our NEBOSH-accredited Health and Safety training courses.

What Are Ergonomic Considerations for Home Workers?

In 2020, UNICEF shared a list of ergonomic considerations for remote employees to work comfortably amid the shift caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Some of those tips are as follows:

• Avoid glare by sitting one arm’s length from the screen. Place your screen as close to a window that lets in natural light as possible.

Remote workers who follow these tips can dramatically minimise their risk of having MSDs while also ensuring a safe and comfortable working environment.

How Should Employers Address Mental Health and Well-being in Home Working Risk Assessments?

A recent BBC report showed that 80% of remote workers agreed to a work-from-home culture, negatively affecting their mental health.

In 2023, the HSE’s annual survey recorded around 875,000 cases of work-related stress and anxiety , highlighting the importance of addressing employees’ mental health and well-being. On that note, here’s how employees should address this sensitive issue in working from home risk assessment:

List the Challenges to Working From Home

While performing the risk assessment, look into issues that could lead to stress and anxiety. Generally, the stressors include feelings of isolation, a lack of social engagement, or an ambiguous work-life balance.

Check the Employee Workload and Manage Expectations

As an employer, you always strive to clearly communicate workload, deadlines, and expectations to your staff. In certain scenarios, employees may feel overworked or under pressure to work long hours from home, which can severely affect their mental health and well-being.

Create a Culture of Open Communication

When working from home, encourage staff members to voice any worries they may have regarding their well-being or mental health. On that note, the risk assessment can examine existing communication channels and point out areas that may require improvement.

Provide Access to Support Resources

Employees should have access to available resources and support services, such as:

• Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)
• NHS urgent mental health helplines

On that note, the risk assessment can identify gaps in current support structures.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Before we leave, here are some of the most frequently asked questions about working from home risk assessments:

Is a Lone Worker Risk Assessment Applicable When Working From Home?

Lone worker risk assessments are traditionally used when a person works alone on a physical site, with very little monitoring or avenues for help in case of emergency. The regulated workplace is the key differentiator here, even though working from home often involves similar levels of isolation.

However, lone worker risk assessments are still applicable for employees working from home. To be specific, Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work ACT 2005 mandates companies to assess whether a worker can work remotely. These risk assessments usually include analysing the risks associated with working in their specific remote workstation.

How Can Technology Help in Managing Home Working Risks?

Here’s how technology can help manage health and safety risks while working from home:

• Cybersecurity software: Protects you and your employer from online hazards such as malware and phishing attempts — especially crucial when working from home.

For remote workers and employers alike, performing a working from home risk assessment is key to maintaining well-being, increasing productivity, and decreasing absenteeism.

Proactively detecting and minimising potential dangers can greatly minimise the risk of musculoskeletal problems, slips, trips, and falls, along with mental health issues related to prolonged screen usage and social isolation.

Contact us at TSW Training today to fulfil your organisation’s need for home working risk assessments with our NEBOSH-accredited Health and Safety training courses.

Develop Yourself

Similar articles....

What is an Accident Book? All Questions Answered

RAMS Construction [Ultimate Guide for Workplace Safety]

Hierarchy of Control: 5 Pillars to Reduce Risk in the Workplace

10 Common Workplace Allergies And How To Manage Them

Who is Responsible for Preventing Your Exposure to Asbestos?

Your Ultimate Guide to Manual Handling – Regulations, Risk, and More

Managing Health and Safety for Employees Working from Home

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) describes homeworking as , “a type of flexible working which depends on the agreement between an employer and employee”.

In this article, we are going to cover what home working is, the benefits for employers and employees, and the importance of completing a home working risk assessment .

If you need immediate advice get in touch with one of Croner's experts at 0808 145 3385.

What is home working?

Homeworking involves working from home on a full or part-time basis depending on your agreement with the employee. The role of a home worker involves working away from your business premises and without direct supervision.

There are many factors that can influence your willingness to support or consider a working-from-home policy.

Depending on the role, you can consider employees working from home . It might increase productivity due to no commute time and flexible working as well as save on some of the costs of maintaining an office.

Or it may assist if you are trying to expand your presence in other geographical locations.

Homeworking and health & safety

Before an employee can begin working from home, you must perform a risk assessment . This is to make sure you are meeting all the health and safety requirements .

Not only does it help with keeping remote workers safe, but it also prevents and controls potential risks to your employees.

Although your employees might be working from the comfort of their home, you as an employer still have the same duty of care for them as you do for your office-based employees.

It is your responsibility to carry out a risk assessment for home workers' health and safety before the role or assignment commences.

The risk assessment includes checking;

• The workstation.
• Data security.
• Relevant insurance.
• Stress and poor mental health
• Portable electrical appliances
• And anything else required for the employee to work safely and effectively.

The aim of the risk assessment is to highlight areas of concern in relation to health & safety while working from home, as well as to help you decide on the right level of supervision required for an employee’s mental health & welfare.

It is your responsibility to provide any equipment needed for the employee to effectively carry out and manage their responsibilities. The employee is responsible for resolving any home-related issues highlighted in the assessment.

Health & safety requirements working from home

If you have more than five employees, you have a legal requirement to assess potential risks to their work environment before employment begins and record any significant findings. You must:

• Conduct risk assessments at the start of the employment or contract and when there has been a significant change to the home and review at least annually where there is no change. This should include a display screen equipment (DSE) assessment.
• Provide adequate information, Instruction, training and supervision on health and safety matters.
• Involve homeworkers when considering potential risks and discuss how best to control them.
• Take appropriate steps to remove risks around the home wherever possible.

Like everything else, there are pros and cons of establishing a working-from-home policy. Here are some of the pros and cons:

Pros for employers

Utilising home working can have significant benefits for employers, from reducing the business's overheads to improving the company's reputation and retention.

Reduced overheads

There are a lot of associated costs involved with effectively running an office.

• Utility bills.
• Business rates.
• Commercial insurance.
• Relevant compliance inspections for gas appliances.
• Fixed wiring inspections.
• Legionella water testing.
• Renting commercial office space.

These are just a couple of the things that you would immediately start saving money on when an employee starts working from home.

However, there are a number of other associated costs that you might not have considered and the initial calculation would be much higher considering premises maintenance and upkeep, asbestos surveys and fire compliance.

You should also remember that there might be some initial costs incurred as employees working from home might require additional equipment and training to be able to carry out tasks effectively.

Cast a wide recruiting net

When considering hiring an employee to work from home, you can cast a wider net on candidates from a variety of geographic locations.

Most potential employees now check out company reviews from previous employees before applying for a job or accepting an offer.

Being a flexible employer can also contribute to attracting potential employees as well as retaining current employees.

Cons for employers

There are some downsides to having remote working employees, these can ultimately change how you manage your business.

Managing remote working

Managers might consider it more of a challenge to manage and monitor remote workers than they would manage office workers.

Before considering remote workers, for example, you need to be able to know that you can trust them to carry out tasks efficiently and with minimal supervision.

You also need to worry about security concerns with employees working from home, especially if your business handles personal and private information.

As the new GDPR laws went into effect earlier this year, it wouldn’t hurt to invest in training employees about the importance of keeping company and client information safe.

Businesses found to be in breach of the new GDPR laws can be liable to a fine of up to 4% of your annual profit.

Communication

Another concern for you is the possibility of poor communication or miscommunication between staff working with other employees and even clients.

The good news is, with all the communication platforms now available to us (such as email, phone, Skype, Slack etc.) it has become much harder for employees to excuse poor communication.

Pros for employees

Having employees working remotely will have significant positives for your employees, we've highlighted some of them below.

Flexibility

A happy employee is a more productive employee. Although employees have to work the required hours agreed upon by all parties involved.

They do have the option of hybrid working less or deciding how they are going to spend that time to complete tasks and meet deadlines.

Good riddance to commuting

According to Inside magazine, the average employee spends nearly 200 hours commuting to and from work every year.

Taking the worry out of work life and commuting can result in higher productivity from an employee. Not to mention the costs they could save on not commuting.

Mental Wellbeing

Having a flexible working pattern can help your employees improve their mental health and work-life balance.

Cons for employees

As with employers, there are disadvantages of having home workers, ensure you consider these before implementing home working into your business.

Limited group input

Homeworking means an employee will not be able to get as much input on projects from other employees in the office.

However, the popularity of some of the platforms mentioned above makes communication between employees easier.

Distractions

A recurring workplace concern for homeworkers is the number of distractions available to them.

With online monitoring tools like Jira and Trello, you can keep an eye on tasks as your employee completes them. This helps you stay on top of employee productivity.

Development

Working from home can cause stress and difficulty in development and training for employees. Employees will learn from their colleagues and co-works.

The office is a natural environment to impart knowledge, share information and up-skill. However, with Skype and video conferencing keeping in touch is much easier than ever before.

As of 2018, there is no reason why remote working should fall out of sync with the rest of your team.

In need of home working guidance?

When it comes to home working there are various aspects that should be taken into consideration. If you need support or advice on conducting risk assessments , get in touch with one of our experts.

Croner has a team of award-winning HR consultants who are specialists in their field. We've been helping businesses for over 80 years and our advice line is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Why not speak to a Croner expert on 0808 145 3385.

If you like this content, you may also like

• Working From Home: Health & Safety During the Coronavirus Outbreak

• [Mythbuster] There Are No Real Health & Safety Risks When Working at Home

• Supporting Disabled Employees with Hybrid Working

About the Author

Chris is the Director of Health and Safety at Croner. Chris is also CMIOSH accredited, an IOSH Mentor and HSE People Champion and has over 20 years working in Health & Safety.

Related resources

• Business Advice
• Contracts & Documentation
• Culture & Performance
• Disciplinary & Grievances
• Dismissals & Conduct
• Employee Conduct
• Employment Law
• End of Contract
• Equality & Discrimination
• Health & Safety
• Hiring & Managing
• Leave & Absence
• Managing Health & Safety
• Occupational Health
• Pay & Benefits
• Recruitment
• Risk & Welfare

Any Questions?

Call us today on 01455 858 132 or fill in your details below to speak to an expert.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Health and Safety eLearning Consultancy

• Client login

The importance of working from home risk assessments

25% of employees working from home experience loneliness and isolation while being away from colleagues. The impact of working from home can affect mental health and as an employer, it’s worth considering the benefits of working from home risk assessments .

Working from home can bring a number of benefits, both to the employee and the business; whether this is financial benefits through the minimised cost of commuting, office space and facilities, or opening up a wider pool of applicants by dismissing geographical issues. Research shows that working from home has the potential to increase staff motivation, as it reduces stress and sickness levels, allowing productivity to be maintained throughout the business.

However, where there are benefits, there will always be risks, and it is important for employers to recognise these and work to understand what can be done to raise awareness and prevent employees from feeling isolated in their environment when working from home.

For more understanding on employee mental health, our Mental health and Me training can help employees get to grips with their mental health and how to improve it.

Working from home risk assessments

It’s common for employers to feel like they have lost oversight and control of their staff when they undertake remote working, but enhances in technology allow a higher level of communication than ever before, and new ways of control to be put in place to monitor results, performance and productivity – it’s not hard to see why homeworking is becoming increasingly popular.

Despite this, it’s important to recognise the benefits and risks and by undertaking the correct procedures you can ensure you are not liable for any personal injury claims, as well as having the knowledge to ensure risk assessments are undertaken in the correct manner. Ensuring their home is compliant with health and safety regulations, as well as recognising how stress and mental health could be impacted through a feeling of isolation and homeworking.

Working from home risk assessments cover a range of areas :

• Working with display screen equipment at home
• Working environment and accidents
• Stress and mental health

The HSE advises employers to conduct regular risk assessments for all employees, including homeworkers. Working from home risk assessments should include the minimum of:

• identifying hazards, what could cause injury or illness
• identify how likely it is for the employee to be at risk
• taking control or making adjustments to control risk

By law, as an employer, you must abide by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 , to protect your employees from harm. Examples of risk assessments and templates can be found on the HSE site .

Employee mental health and Isolation Issues

As we delve into stress and mental health issues, one of the major risks facing homeworkers is the feeling of isolation. While distractions in an office can often impact productivity if they are not managed correctly, it’s often these interactions that give us the motivation to carry on with our work.

It is these interactions that are noticeably missing when working from home. By ensuring that a routine is put in place throughout the working day to communicate with your team and management, and strengthen the link to the outside world beyond the four walls of your home office you can limit the feeling of isolation that comes through working from home.

We are more connected than ever, with video conferencing technology making waves to help businesses maintain communication in more ways, phone and email still also play a huge part in allowing employees who work from home to remain a part of the team in the office.

If you are worried about isolation issues affecting employee mental health through homeworking, look at our training course on Homeworker Awareness to understand the importance of reporting issues and hazards at home. Risk assessments are required by law, as an employer.

Related resources

Discover our library of expert guides, webinars and video.

What is sexual harassment in the workplace?

Lone working policy and sexual harassment: protecting the vulnerable in the workplace

Confined space risk assessment template

How to test for asbestos

We're the leading compliance organisation trusted by businesses nationwide to meet their auditing, assessment and training needs. We work with all sectors and size of organisation. We have extensive accreditation and decades of safety management experience.

Company no. 04152524 · VAT no. 770517529

Explore Praxis42

Privacy overview.

Home working risk assessment

• October 13, 2014

Home working has been steadily increasing over the past decade, with the number of people working from home now reaching four million, according to the Office for National Statistics .

This change is largely thanks to technology which has made it easier for people to carry out their roles wherever they are based. It is also partly due to Government policies aimed at encouraging people with disabilities to work. New legislation , which came into effect on 30 June 2014, looks set to further add to the rise. Now, all employees have the legal right to request flexible working, which includes working from home. As a business owner or manager, you will know that you must handle requests for flexible working in a fair and reasonable manner. This means that you can only refuse an application if there is a good business reason for doing so.

The same rules apply if your employee is disabled, and you risk discriminating against them if you fail to properly consider their request to work from home. Permitting home working for a disabled employee may feel like a leap into the unknown, and seem to be an undue risk for your business. Maybe your fears range from worrying about what would happen if your disabled employee had an accident, to how can you be sure their work environment is safe.

In fact, you will find that home working can bring many benefits for the disabled worker. Advantages include the fact that they have more control over their environment (and may have already made some modifications to their home that make day to day life easier). It also helps them to avoid unnecessary travel, which can be difficult, stressful and time consuming.

Your business may benefit too. According to Health and Safety Executive research , companies who employ home workers found it led to higher levels of commitment from staff. 

However, the employer cannot afford to take an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach to home working. You will need to take a few simple actions to ensure that you are covered and your employee is able to make the most of the potential benefits. Firstly, you must be aware that it is the employer’s responsibility to carry out a risk assessment to check that the proposed work area is suitable. This can include looking at ventilation, temperature and lighting as well as the particular requirements of the individual. The Health and Safety Executive has very useful online tools that can help you with this. The next step is to take any appropriate measures to reduce the risks that you have identified. You will need to take a similar approach to in the workplace, where you will be accustomed to making reasonable adjustments for disabled workers. You must ensure that the actual work space is adequate for the worker’s needs and provide any suitable work equipment, such as a properly set-up work station and IT equipment.

A good employer can also support their disabled employee by looking at how their house meets their needs, which is especially important when it becomes their place of work too. This useful resource from Chartwell Insurance is very helpful for looking at ways of modifying the home to make it suitable. There are many ways a house can be altered to improve mobility and safety that would also benefit the work area. For example, wheelchair users may need the installation of threshold covers (small ramps) over the entrance of doors to ensure easy access around the house. Once home working has started, there are many good practice guidelines that will help make it successful. These include staying in regular contact to avoid feelings of isolation, and carrying out regular reviews of how it is working for both parties.

Receive more HR related news and content with our Free Newsletter

Supporting employee feelings of loneliness during the darker months, twelve amazing tips for a happier workforce, why difficult conversations are key to growing people and culture, latest news, how to develop self-aware leaders for a happier workplace, 26 september 2024.

Artificial Intelligence , Career Development , Skills , Technology , Workforce Planning

25 september 2024, reducing the skills gap with impact gaming.

Leadership , Learning & Development , Management

Shaping future leaders, receive the latest hr news and strategic content.

International Week of Happiness at Work – why work environments matter

Workers struggling with blurred work-life boundaries

Having a ‘fixed mindset’ over skillset holds jobseekers back

Why are young people frustrated and struggling to secure jobs?

Most employers likely to adapt HR strategies around pensions soon

Latest hr jobs, hr director bpo – emea, director of human resources.

Peter Banks

Founder & ceo, jason spiller, digital marketing, beenu weerawardena, hady elsayed, subscriptions, sonja grimes, advertising, advertising sales, publication and online, 01454 292063   [email protected], recruitment, 01454 292 069     [email protected], customer service, 01454 292 060 [email protected] m, subscriber service, +441454292060 [email protected].

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE

• View All Business Types

Forgotten Login

If you have forgotten your login details enter your email address in the form below.

Guidance on Working from Home for Employers and Employees

This guide will enable employers and employees to understand the requirements when working from home. It is broken into 12 sections.

1. Introduction to homeworking 2. Employer and employees responsibilities 3. Homeworking policy 4. Home office/workstation requirements 5. Workstation/display screen assessment 6. Training 7. Work-related stress 8. Sensitive risk groups 9. Risk assessment 10. Communication 11. Home office environment 12. Further information

Appendix 1: Homeworking Risk Assessment/Checklist is included to help employers and their employees to carry out an assessment of the home working environment as an online fillable form contained within the guidance document or available as a seperate file below.

• Guidance on Working from Home for Employers and Employees  (2.1MB PDF)
• Appendix 1: Homeworking Risk Assessment/Checklist  (1.0MB PDF)

Health, safety and wellbeing – Wellbeing when working from home

• Health, safety and wellbeing
• Risk assessments
• Mental and physical health
• Bullying and harassment
• Domestic violence and abuse

Employers are responsible for their employees' health, safety and wellbeing – both when they are in the workplace and when they work remotely (including working from home).

Employees also have responsibilities.

Employer responsibilities

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has advice for employers.

Find advice for employers from the Health and Safety Executive

Employee responsibilities

Employees have a responsibility to take reasonable care of their own health and safety at work.

Anyone who works from home should keep in regular contact with their manager. They should also tell their manager about:

• any physical or mental health and safety risks
• any working arrangements that need to change – for example, because of caring responsibilities

Employees and managers should communicate regularly and work together to find solutions.

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 .

Home working – your health and safety

You're a home worker if you permanently work from your home or split your working time between the workplace and home (sometimes called hybrid working).

What your employer must do

Your employer has the same health and safety responsibilities for you whether you are working at home or in a workplace.

Our guidance for employers explains what they should do to protect you as a home worker.

What you must do

Like any worker, you must take care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be harmed by your actions while you are working.

You must cooperate with your employers and other workers to help everyone meet their duties under the law.

Find out if health and safety law applies to you if you're  self-employed .

Stress and mental health

There are some things you can do to help prevent stress and look after your mental health when working from home.

• Stay in regular contact with your manager and colleagues
• Talk to your manager about workloads and be open about how you’re feeling
• Take regular breaks during the day and use your annual leave
• Set and stick to a routine – don’t revisit your computer outside your regular hours
• Check your employer’s ‘working from home’ policies and how to get help if you need it

If you think your work is affecting your mental health or wellbeing, you could also contact your doctor, or your employee assistance provider or occupational health provider if you have one.

Working on a computer

You should take simple steps to protect your health when working on a computer . We have a video and practical tips on good posture .

Try to find a suitable area to work in, avoiding uncomfortable positions and making sure you move around regularly. 

If your workstation assessment shows you need extra DSE equipment, your employer cannot charge you for this.

Your work environment

Wherever you work in your home, there are some things you can do to keep yourself healthy and safe:

• arrange equipment and furniture to avoid trailing leads and cables
• check that your plugs, leads, wires and cables are in good condition
• keep your work area tidy and free from obstructions that could cause slips or trips
• check you have adequate lighting in your work area to avoid eyestrain

Is this page useful?