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Homeworking implementation guidelines for applicants and managers

Oxford Brookes is committed to promoting and practising equal opportunities in employment. This includes giving employees, wherever practicable, the opportunity to work more flexibly. Homeworking is also advocated in the University Sustainable Travel Plan 2006 -2010 as a way of reducing our overall carbon emissions. Requests for homeworking will be considered in relation to any job role that may be carried out equally on site or from a remote location, usually the employee’s home. It is evident that some roles do not lend themselves to any form of homeworking as they can only be carried out on site. In some roles (e.g. academic staff) working at home is already common practice, and should be managed on an informal and ad hoc basis.

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a framework within which employees and management can agree arrangements for working at or from home. The guidelines must be read in conjunction with the flexible working policy. These guidelines are not intended to be prescriptive; however there are certain fundamental principles which must apply and which should be understood by employees and their managers.

Contents

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1. Definitions of homeworking

The University is willing to consider the following models of homeworking, depending on the circumstances of the role and operational requirements.

  • Occasional homeworking - Applies to employees who, with the approval of their line manager, work at home on an occasional and ad hoc basis (i.e. where there is no agreed pattern of homeworking), even though their contract of employment requires them to be based at Oxford Brookes University.
  • Regular homeworking - Applies to employees who have a regularly pattern of working at home agreed with their line manager (e.g. once a week or once a month) even though their contract of employment requires them to be based at Oxford Brookes University.
  • Designated homeworking - Applies to employees who work from home (their office is based in their home) even though they may work other than at home for part of their working hours. Becoming a designated homeworker involves a change in the contract of employment to reflect the new work location.

2. General guiding principles

The guidance below applies to all categories of homeworkers. Further guidance applying to support staff and academic staff can be found in sections 4, 5 and 6.

  • The interests of employees who are not working at or from home will be protected at all times. E.g. no employee will be expected to incur an increased workload due to colleagues working from home.
  • Employees working at or from home should not suffer a detriment financially, in terms of job satisfaction or career prospects.
  • Employees working at and from home must adhere to all university policies in the same way as office based employees.
  • Employees working at or from home must be contactable by telephone by their line manager or departmental head.
  • Employees working at or from home will not be entitled to claim travel expenses from home to the University.

3. Guiding principles for line managers

Line managers should take into account the following when assessing any requests to work at or from home.

4. Occasional and regular homeworking - support staff

Occasional and regular homeworking applies to employees who, with the approval of their line manager, work at home on an occasional, ad hoc, or regular basis even though their contract of employment requires them to be based at Oxford Brookes University.

5. Occasional and regular homeworking - academic staff

Occasional and regular homeworking applies to employees who work at home on an occasional, ad hoc, or regular basis even though their contract of employment requires them to be based at Oxford Brookes University.

  • Existing custom and practice means that, for academic staff, the process of making a request to work from home on an occasional or regular basis may be managed on an informal and ad hoc basis. However the University has a duty of care towards all its employees and must ensure they are working within an environment that meets health and safety guidelines.
  • For this reason all academic staff who work at home on a occasional or regular basis must complete a self-assessment of the home working environment using appendices 1 - 4 (risk assessment forms). It is the responsibility of the employee’s line manager to ensure that the forms are made available and completed.
  • All forms should be returned to the employee’s line manager. If the line manager has any concerns as to the suitability of the home environment they should contact the University Safety Officer. Where homeworking has been agreed all completed forms should be forwarded to the link HR manager and stored on the employees personnel file.
  • The University may, in some instances, require the risk assessments undertaken at the employee’s home to be carried out by the University Safety Officer or a trained representative of the School/Directorate.
  • If the employee moves to a different home address they must inform the University and the suitability of the new work location must also be assessed.
  • It is the responsibility of the employee to notify the University of any other circumstances that could impact on the safety of the home working environment.

6. Designated homeworkers – academic and support staff

Employees are referred to as ‘designated homeworkers’ where they have a change in their contract of employment to have their office based in their home, even though they may be other than at home for part of their working time.

7. Data protection

  • It is the duty of any employee working at or from home to take all reasonable precautions to protect information which is stored in the home relating to their employment with the University. They need to consider in particular access that other people residing in or visiting the home may have to the information.
  • Information is confidential where it is expressly stated to be confidential. Information can also be confidential where its nature or quality attracts confidence by implication, or where it is covered by data protection legislation.
  • Information must be kept secure when in transit between home and work, e.g. never leave a briefcase or laptop unattended.
  • Information which contains data about any identifiable living individuals is subject to the Data Protection Act. Employees working at or from home need to know and understand their obligation to keep data confidential and secure.
  • In practice employees working at or from home are best able to follow the data protection principles by keeping work related information files and documentation and domestic life separate and storing such information files and documentation in a lockable filing cabinet.
  • Where there is a risk that other household occupants might gain access to work related computer files these should be password protected. Great care should be taken not to inadvertently disclose passwords.
  • Homeworkers must ensure any computer at home that holds work related information files has up-to-date anti-virus software. The University uses Sophos anti-virus software and this is available to home users see /services/cs/virus_info/
  • Employees working at or from home using a broadband connection should ensure they have a properly configured firewall.
  • Work related information files and documentation taken or stored at home must also be accessible to anyone within the University who needs to use it for their work. In principle this means employees should never take home the only copy of this type of information.
  • Line managers are responsible for agreeing and monitoring procedures for ensuring the security of the work, information, and data files under the homeworker’s control.

8. Taxation and insurance

1. Taxation/mortgage

Employees working at or from home are responsible for any tax or mortgage implications arising out of their homeworker status. It is strongly recommended that employees investigate any likely tax and mortgage implications before they commence any homeworking arrangement. Staff may also wish to take advice from their recognised trade union.

2. Employers’ Liability Insurance

The University has Employers’ Liability Insurance which covers its legal liability for personal injury to employees while acting in the course of their employment. This cover extends to situations where the employee is working at or from home.

3. Public Liability Insurance

The University has Public Liability Insurance which covers the legal liability of the University and its staff for injury and/or property damage to third parties caused whilst on University business. This cover extends to situations where the employee is working at or from home.

4. Property Insurance

  • Any equipment bought and owned by the University is automatically covered by the University’s insurance subject to a £750 excess. Individual Schools and Directorates will indicate whether they also require employees working from home to include such items on their home and contents insurance in order to obtain cover with a lower excess. In circumstances where this is required any additional costs will be born by the School or Directorate.
  • The University’s insurance cover includes conditions relating to security and risk management. These are detailed in Sections 2, 14 & 15 of our Insurance Handbook. This document is held by an administrator in each School and Directorate. It is the responsibility of the home worker to obtain a copy of this document and to ensure compliance with these conditions.

5. Home and Contents Insurance

  • The employee working at or from home will be responsible for arranging adequate insurance of their home and contents other than the items specifically insured by the University. It is the home worker’s decision as to the level of insurance provided.
  • In the case of Designated Home Workers evidence must be provided to the University that insurers of the property have been advised in writing of the employee’s working from home and have acknowledged this in writing. A sample letter is provided in section g below.

6. Notification of Incidents

  • Homeworker’s Own Insurance: Incidents resulting in a claim against the home worker’s own insurance cover must be advised to their insurer.
  • Employer’s Insurance: Incidents which may result in claims against the University’s insurance cover must be reported to the member of staffs line manager. Major incidents must be reported immediately by telephone to the member of staff’s line manager or as soon as is reasonably possible if the incident occurs outside office hours.

7. Example Letter to Homeworker’s Building And Contents Insurer(s)

NB. The letter should be signed by the policyholder, who may not be the home worker.

9. Risk assessment – see also appendices 1 - 4

Any agreement for staff to work at or from home will be dependent on a satisfactory risk assessment. This will involve an assessment of all the risks to the health and safety of the member of staff working at or from home. The assessment will identify any potential hazards in the home and assess the risks those hazards might pose to the member of staff, and other occupants of and visitors to the home. Appropriate action to remove those risks or reduce them as far as possible must be taken.

Occasional and regular homeworkers must complete a self-assessment. Designated homeworkers will have their assessment undertaken by the University’s Safety Officer or by a trained member of staff from the homeworkers School or Directorate.

Homeworkers are required to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of other persons who may be affected by their acts and omissions at work in the home.

Risk assessments should take into account the following issues:

  1. Workplace - The home workplace should have adequate ventilation, a reasonable temperature, suitable and sufficient lighting, sufficient space, and the floor should be kept free from obstructions or from articles or substances which could cause a homeworker to slip, trip or fall. If the University approves the home as suitable, it will be the homeworkers’ responsibility to maintain a safe and healthy working environment.
  2. Display screen equipment risk assessment - Any staff wishing to work at or from home will not be permitted to carry out a significant amount of work at a home based workstation until such risk assessment has been carried out and any recommendations implemented.
  3. Electrical equipment visual inspection checklist (Appendix 2) - The University is only responsible for electrical equipment which it supplies. However, before allowing an employee to become a homeworker the University will ensure that the homeworker’s own electrical wiring is adequate for the purposes intended (form 2). Maintenance of the wiring is the homeworker’s responsibility.
  4. Manual handling (MH) risk assessment form (Appendix 3) - Any staff wishing to work at or from home should be warned of the hazards of handling loads. If staff are manual handling equipment or materials while working at or from home they must complete form 3.
  5. Rules for safe handling and storage of chemicals (Appendix 4) - If staff are using substances or materials that may be hazardous to health and safety while working at or from home they must complete form 4.
  6. Security - Staff who undertake to meet with colleagues or members of the public in the course of their employment should make appropriate arrangements to meet at the local work office or in a public building.