MAKE YOUR FREE Temporary working from home policy

A temporary working from home policy is a policy that sets out the employer's approach to home working during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak.

Create a temporary working from home policy for your employees during Covid-19. If your employees are working from home, create a temporary working from home policy to set out key guidance on what employees should follow.

Use this temporary working from home policy:

• if you have employees in your business

• when your employees have been requested to temporarily work from home 

• when you want to set out guidance for employees in relation to working from home

This temporary working from home policy covers:

• the employee's hours of work

• equipment and materials 

• expenses

• security

• health and safety

• sickness

• tax

• holiday arrangements

• insurance

• termination of home working

Employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as any other workers. This applies, regardless of whether home working is a temporary or long-term arrangement in light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Where home working is a temporary arrangement, a temporary home working policy should be implemented.

Yes, the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 requires employers to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all its employees, including employees who work from home.

For more information read our guide on managing employee health and safety during Covid-19.

Employers should be aware of their specific obligations, most notably:

• Encouraging employees to liaise with their line managers to ensure their workstations are appropriate and that employees are working in a safe manner. 

• Reminding employees to take responsibility for their own health and safety and that of anyone else in the home who is affected by their work. 

• Requiring employees to notify their line managers if they feel any discomfort due to working from home (such as back pain), or if they feel that there are any work-related health and safety hazards. Line managers should then be instructed to escalate any matters to Human Resources to look into what action can be taken. 

• Informing employees that there are steps they can take to achieve a comfortable posture while working from home on DSE. 

• Providing guidelines about safe working practices to help prevent accidents and injuries, including musculoskeletal injuries. 

• Reminding employees to follow the usual reporting procedures. For example for any work-related accidents that occur in their homes or for reporting sickness. 

It may not be possible to provide everyone with the ideal equipment for working from home, although employers should provide equipment where this is needed for employees with a disability. You should take each request on a case-by-case basis.

Ask a lawyer for advice if:

• the document doesn't meet your needs or cover what you want

• employees don't agree with the working from home policy

This temporary working from home policy is governed by the laws of England and Wales.