1.2 The policy is intended to assist both managers and employees in implementing working from home by highlighting areas for consideration and providing practical advice and information. As homeworking rises across the globe, businesses are presented with new issues to manage. Anyone working from home should keep in regular contact with their manager. ACAS Working from home guidance. During the pandemic, pregnant workers have been advised to follow strict social distancing to reduce the risk of severe illness from coronavirus. . Longer-term changes to working arrangements, Preparing for homeworking during coronavirus questionnaire from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), what employers should do from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), looking out for signs of domestic abuse on GOV.UK, managing and supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse on the CIPD website, domestic abuse toolkit for employers on the Business in the Community (BITC) website, Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA), Time off because of a mental health issue, any physical or mental health and safety risks, any working arrangements that need to change, for example because of caring responsibilities, stress, anxiety, loneliness or other mental health issues, feeling unhealthy as they’re not able to take their usual exercise, finding it harder to switch off from work, feeling pressure to work while ill (‘presenteeism’), physical pain because they do not have the right working equipment, for example musculoskeletal problems caused by an unsuitable chair and desk at home, look after their mental and physical health, for example by getting support and doing regular exercise, manage their work-life balance, for example by having clear start and finish times, have the necessary equipment and information to work safely, encourage sharing of any problems they may have, not make assumptions about what support might or might not be needed, agree on what support may be needed, for example if an employee with a disability needs, support someone who is experiencing domestic abuse, keep a record of incidents at work and when employees report domestic abuse, and any actions taken, finding a way to communicate safely, for example by text message if calls are not possible, or a different email address if their email is being monitored by the perpetrator, agreeing on a code word or hand signal for someone to use to alert others that they’re experiencing domestic abuse, arranging another place they can do their work instead of at home, time off, for example to attend support appointments, helping the person get other appropriate support, a clear commitment to taking the issue seriously, the support available for employees and managers. Acas publishes coronavirus home working advice. Free to download and use. Only if all other options are not practical, may suspension become necessary. Neurodiversity in the workplace. They should also tell their manager about: any physical or mental health and safety risks. The right to request flexible working: an Acas guide. Help and advice for workers and employers on rights and obligations at work. Did you get the information you need from this page? Set up a designated workspace. Performance management. Find out more about what employers should do from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). For example a radiographer working in a hospital may go home following a working day, but may be called into the hospital if required, therefore the working time will be the time spent while working at the hospital. Acas has published some guidance to help employers and employees with some of the challenges of home working. Find out more about working from home during coronavirus. For many businesses, managing people remotely is a new challenge. Start the fightback to a healthier you today. #Other. Employers should make clear what support is available if an employee is experiencing domestic abuse, such as: Employers should consider having a domestic abuse policy. Employers and employees should be practical, flexible and sensitive to each other's situation when working from home because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Or can they be more flexible? This includes temporary homeworking because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and longer-term homeworking arrangements. One of the biggest changes resulting from the coronavirus pandemic has been the switch to working from home. The government’s public health advice is to work from home where possible to help prevent the spread of the virus within the wider community. Homeworking - a guide for employers and employees. It will evaluate services following delivery based on completed evaluation forms. Latest HR … Ref: 10/13. For many businesses, managing people remotely is a new challenge. Is the employee’s We know … The ACAS guide Homeworking – a guide for all employers and employees sets out what ... working from home - for example does homeworking mean that an employee must work and be available during core business hours? Contact us . To keep working from home as healthy and productive as possible, it's important to have trust and confidence between employers and employees. In this module you will see how we can respect each other and our differences at work, and why it’s so important to do so. We’ve created a ready-to-run survey that does all the hard work for you. Acas provides guidance and support on how to organise shift work, and flexible working generally, in the booklet Advisory booklet - Flexible working and work-life balance [347kb] as well as training on Health, work and wellbeing issues. Tools, Templates and Resources. Homeworking - a guide for employers and employees. Employers may need to consider lay-offs (sending employees home temporarily) or short-time working (reducing working hours). Since the COVID-19 outbreak began the government has urged people to work from home where possible. Employees should check there are no issues with them working from home, with their home insurer, mortgage provider or … By Adrian Wakeling on 23 Aug 2017 in Working from home, Acas, Flexible working There are hidden benefits and drawbacks to flexible working arrangements, new research from employment adviser Acas finds. A home working risk assessment should check whether the proposed home worker’s place of work is suitable. Where home working is being newly introduced, or expanded, the employer should ensure that the health and safety implications have been considered (including health and safety risk assessments) and that the necessary infrastructure is in place. 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