Bosses warned over home working policies

A massive boom in the number of people working from home has prompted legal experts to warn employers of their responsibilities following recent guidelines issued by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The guidance has been given heavyweight backing by the CBI, TUC and CEEP, the employersí organization for Local Government.

Parents with young children are already afforded the right to request teleworking. Already, 7.4% of employees work from home and between Spring 1997 and Spring 2001, there was a 65% rise.

Alan Lewis, employment law partner at Manchester law firm George Davies Solicitors predicts rapidly advancing technology and wider use of diversity policies means even more people will ask to work from home:

More than two million people now work away from the confines of a normal office and employers must ensure that they comply with their obligations towards them, says Lewis.

Health and Safety legislation needs to be considered. In other words, is the employeeís workspace safe? Employers must ensure that all electrical equipment complies with safety regulations and a risk assessment of working conditions is carried out.

Allowances, taxation and expenses need to be no less favourable to that of an office worker. Clear human resources policies, disciplinary procedures, training, recruitment and career progression must also be in line with that of an individual working within the normal office environment. The teleworker must not be excluded from these rights, explains the expert.

The safeguarding of company information must also be a priority for employers. The employer may have to address different kinds of issues concerning confidentiality where data is processed from home.

Lewis predicts a headache for businesses as they struggle to cope with the extra redtape, but says they must be vigilant:

Businesses are worried about an extra burden of red-tape being imposed on them, but theyíll need to make sure they are up to speed with the legislation. The consequences for them could be very costly. The number of teleworkers looks set to increase - and with it potential employment pitfalls for management, he adds.

See www.dti.gov.uk or www.georgedavies.co.uk for more information.