AGS HR Solutions

If members of your team are working remotely from home, then you should implement a home working policy or agreement.

This will typically include guidance and rules on what employees can and cannot do while working from home, but it may also reinforce data policy arrangements and IT and security policies.

Failing to put a policy in place may limit an employer’s recourse if an employee behaves inappropriately.

Employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as for any other workers, which includes looking after a worker’s physical and mental health.

All elements of employment law also remain the same, including key concepts such as mutual trust, which is implied in most employment contracts.

Employers should support staff working from home, ensuring they have the right equipment and access to systems and tools necessary to do their job.

Employers should also take care if they decide to monitor staff working from home, as they could unwittingly discriminate, breach data protection laws or even find themselves in conflict with human rights legislation.

Employers can provide expenses and equipment to staff working from home, but they are not legally required to do so.

Where an employer does not provide expenses then an employee can seek tax relief via the working from home allowance, which could offer up to £6 per week (depending on their tax band) to cover home working related costs.

Where an employer does not provide expenses then an employee can seek tax relief via the working from home allowance, which could offer up to £6 per week (depending on their tax band) to cover home working related costs.

Some of the key issues with remote working are:

• Social isolation
• Lack of face-to-face interactions
• Inability to access information.

These same challenges affect staff development. Whilst employees may be able to continue their formal studies, they may miss out on the mentorship and interactions, which are also important elements of staff training.

Employers should take time to communicate with trainees and other staff members taking the next steps in their career to make sure they have the technical and pastoral tools needed to progress.

Make sure to set aside time to speak with and review progress with each member of your team, whether by phone, email or a video call.

Many of the existing methods of advertising a job remains true, but difficulties often arise during the selection and interview process.

When hiring remote candidates, phone and video interviews will be your primary communication channels, although emails and forms may also play a role.

You could also use assessment tools to evaluate candidates’ skills and make objective hiring decisions, where you don’t meet the candidate in person.

Given the inability to meet with candidates, references will also play a key role in selecting someone suited to your business. Take the time to speak with referees and compare notes.

When onboarding a new remote worker, it is important that they are properly set up and settled in. This is a little more difficult than meeting in person, but employees should:

• Ensure they have the tools and technology to do the job effectively
• Create clear lines of communication
• Conduct regular check-in to make sure the employee is supported
• Provide helpful feedback on progression and performance.

As yet, no law says people must have the vaccine, even if an employer would prefer someone to be vaccinated.

There may also be some people who are advised not to have the vaccine, for example for health reasons or a disability.

Requiring that these individuals get vaccinated to work could be considered discriminatory behaviour.

Employers should agree arrangements with employees and any decision after that discussion should be put in writing, for example in a workplace policy, which must also be in line with the organisation’s existing disciplinary and grievance policy.

Under the Data Protection Act, an employee does not need to inform an employer whether they have been vaccinated and neither should employers request this information, as it is considered personal sensitive data.

However, in certain circumstances an employer can ask for a staff member to be vaccinated if it is relevant to their roles, such as they care for others or the employer has a specific vaccination policy in place, which the employee has agreed to.

It’s best to support staff to get the vaccine without forcing them to do so. Take time to speak with them and find out their reasons for not getting vaccinated.

Employers should be sensitive towards personal situations and must keep any concerns confidential. They must also be careful to avoid discriminatory behaviour.

Where an existing vaccination policy is in place, an employer may be able to take action appropriate to the situation. However, they should still seek legal advice before doing so.