Employers warned not to slip up on home working arrangements

WITH the unexpected snowfall this winter, employers should take extra care that they have adequate home working policies in place, warns Debbie Taylor, Director of Target HR Consultancy. “This winter’s snowfall has put compliance issues into sharp focus,” Debbie explains. “Whilst employers were sensibly advising employees to work from home rather than brave the elements in dangerous conditions, many of them didn’t have home working policies in place. “A recent case in France where an employer was successfully sued by a member of staff, who fell off a roof whilst working from home, illustrates how vulnerable companies can be and could open the way for similar cases in the UK,” she said. Debbie points out that it’s not just where the cold weather is concerned where employers need to take care. “An employee’s home is an extension of the office, so it is an employer’s responsibility to ensure that they have a safe working environment,” she said. “This includes making sure there is a clear policy for home working, which states that employers should not undertake any activities which could put themselves at risk. “Although, it is unlikely that employees will be getting up on their roofs, there are other scenarios which could happen during the course of a working day, such as slipping on an icy path or driveway, which need to be considered,” Debbie adds. “However, minor an accident may seem, it can easily snowball and leave the employer liable for thousands of pounds in personal injury claims. “There are also other responsibilities employers have, such as making sure an employee’s work station is established and assessed, data protection issues in terms of the disposal of sensitive documents, IT security and the protection of personal details,” she said. According to Debbie, no employer can escape from having a home working policy in place nowadays. “The British weather aside, there are many unplanned for situations, for example, where a employee requests to work from home due to unforeseen circumstances, which require a home working policy to be in place,” she explains. “There aren’t that many employers nowadays who don’t have some form of flexible working in place. Home working is the way of the future and is the only way that businesses will get the right staff to do the job. “The key thing for employers is to manage the process properly,” Debbie advises. “This includes establishing internal communication procedures to keep staff motivated and agreeing the work they are undertaking in advance, so there is no misunderstanding of what is expected of them.” For more information and advice on home working, please contact Debbie Taylor on 01225 486300, or visit Target HR Consultancy at www.target-accountants.com. ENDS For media enquiries contact Corrina Cockayne at Target Chartered Accountants on 01225 486348, or e-mail corrina.cockayne@target-accountants.com. Target Chartered Accountants Target is a top 40* firm of chartered accountants working exclusively with entrepreneurial individuals and their businesses around the country. The firm has 14 directors and 180 staff working out of four UK offices in Bath, London, Reading and the Midlands. Established 11 years ago as a specialist tax consultancy, Target are now leading advisers in six core integrated service areas: Audit and Assurance, Business Services, Tax Planning, Corporate Finance, Financial Management and HR Consultancy. *(source: Accountancy magazine, 2010)

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