The next step

Trial flexible working arrangement

[Letter]

Homeworking

[Checklist]

Making a homeworking arrangement permanent

Homeworking trial

During the coronavirus outbreak thousands of employees transitioned to temporary homeworking arrangements. Many have worked out well despite the limited amount of time that everyone was given to prepare.

As things start to return to “normal” you could receive one or more requests to turn temporary homeworking arrangements into permanent ones. What should you consider?

Contractual variation

If you agree to a permanent homeworking arrangement it’s important to note that it will be a contractual variation. Unless you obtained the right to revoke or vary it, you can’t bring the employee back into the workplace.

Also, whilst homeworking arrangements are popular, the novelty can wear off for employees after several months. They can also be detrimental to mental health because of the isolation. Some homeworkers end up regretting permanent homeworking requests because they miss the social aspects of work and conversation.

Tip 1. For these reasons alone it can be sensible to agree a long trial period - perhaps of up to a year - even if the employee has already been working at home for a few weeks or months. This will ensure that it genuinely suits all parties before it becomes permanent (see The next step ).

Tip 2. It’s also worth having an agreement to regularly review the arrangement, that way both parties can say if it’s not working at any point.

Comprehensive checklist

Before agreeing to a permanent homeworking arrangement, you should check that the employee:

• has a suitable area or room at home to work
• won’t be undertaking any care or domestic commitments whilst working, e.g. looking after young children
• has all the necessary IT equipment and office supplies (record what’s been provided)
• has an adequate internet connection
• can comply with confidentiality, security and data protection requirements. Any personal information in their possession must be held in accordance with the GDPR
• is properly insured to work from home and any equipment you’ve provided is covered
• knows what expenses they can claim (if any).

Assessment and contact

You should also conduct a homeworking risk assessment to identify any hazards, plus agree the contact and communication aspects of the arrangement, e.g. how their performance will be managed, when they can be visited at home and how they will communicate with colleagues.

Tip 1. Reserve the right to have the employee attend your workplace as and when necessary.

Tip 2. All of the above points are covered in our homeworking checklist (see The next step ).

For a trial flexible working arrangement letter and a homeworking checklist, visit http://tipsandadvice-personnel.co.uk/download (PS 22.12.05).