As we begin to look to the future and what normal will look like in our businesses, now is the time to consider how a more flexible approach to working could benefit your business.  

For those businesses who already have a Home Working policy in place, now is the time to review this to ensure that it is fit for purpose and, for those that don’t have a policy in place, now is the time to implement one which will support your businesses individual needs.

• The aims of the policy - such as to increase efficiency, reduce costs, increase employee retention rates and employee satisfaction.
• Details of when can employees work from home (for example, a maximum of 2 days per week)
• Any restrictions on working from home, for example if you have an all employee meeting every Friday you may want to restrict working from home to Monday-Thursday.
• Information on equipment and connectivity and what costs will be met by the business.
• Details on how you will deal with your requirements in relation to health and safety. As a minimum you should undertake a risk assessment at the employee’s proposed place of work in order to ensure that it is suitable and that the work can be carried out safely (this can be carried out by the employee themselves)
• Any insurances that the employee should have in place.
• Confirmation that employees working from home must comply with the businesses GDPR processes and their responsibilities under it.
• That employees can request a formal flexible working arrangement after 26 weeks of service under flexible working legislation.

There are lots of benefits to having a home working policy in place – less stress, increased productivity and better health to name but a few – but, always be mindful that home working is not for everybody and that there always potential pitfalls to counter act the positives – such as the feeling of isolation, difficulty in separating work from home and other distractions.  

Take the time to consider the implications of home working in your business and how best to implement formal guidelines that work for your employees. For help and support with your home working policy contact us today.