Home and hybrid working
UNISON believes that home-working and hybrid working should be options for flexible working, in particular to better manage work-life balance.
Health and safety remain a priority during homeworking. Using a proper workstation, taking regular screen breaks and setting clear boundaries between home and work life are all effective ways of maintaining mental and physical wellbeing.
Different jobs also come with unique considerations, so it’s crucial that UNISON reps and branches actively engage in the workplace decisions made about homeworking, hybrid working and other types of flexible working, to improve experiences for all workers.
On this page
An introduction to hybrid working
Hybrid working is a combination of home-working and attendance at the normal workplace. It may also be called remote working, agile working, smart working, mobile working or teleworking.
Benefits for employers
- Decrease in overheads/premises, enhances green credentials, reduction in expenses if meetings are held offsite, with the introduction of Microsoft Teams/Zoom online meetings.
- Better recruitment opportunities if working from home is an option.
- Reduction in sickness absence, as staff are thought to be happier when working from home.
Benefits for employees
- Improved work-life balance.
- Fewer distractions and less noise – able to get more work done.
- Carers more available in any home emergency.
- Improved wellbeing and cost savings through not having to travel to work.
Despite the benefits, there are health and safety implications to consider when working from home. Many homeworkers have struggled with their working environment, limited equipment and IT, inadequate workstations, back and neck pain, fatigue, stress and burnout, resulting in poor physical health and deteriorating mental health.
Some workers have found that it has made them become invisible within the workforce, unable to progress in their career, unable to access training, reducing their social connections, leaving them feeling isolated, unable to ‘disconnect’ from their work and creating health and safety risks for them.
Employers may have an expectation for staff to work excessively long hours when working from home. For some people, it may feel that there is no separation between their work and personal lives.
For flexible working to be a positive experience for both employers and staff, UNISON believes it must be truly flexible and truly a choice, and not just limited to home working or hybrid working.
How are job roles selected as suitable for home working?
As well as the needs of the job role, your employer should ideally consider your individual needs. Enforcing home working for all could potentially disadvantage some workers who struggle with the arrangement.
Everybody’s home circumstances will vary considerably. For example, some people may lack space and privacy; others may have a poor internet or mobile phone signal; there may be an increased risk of domestic abuse with less time apart from an abuser; disabled workers may be lacking reasonable adjustments that have been provided in the workplace.
On the other hand, for some disabled workers, home working could provide a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010 (In Northern Ireland, this requirement is enshrined in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995).
It may allow some to better manage their impairments without the rigidity of the work environment.
Working safely
Employers continue to be responsible for the health and safety of their workers while they are working from home.
A starting point would be to check that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance for employers on health and safety for homeworkers is being followed.
It is important that you should raise any health and safety concerns with your line manager as soon as possible.
If you work on a computer or laptop at home, your employer should ensure that a display screen equipment (DSE) assessment is carried out. This can be done by a self-assessment.
You must be given training and guidance to help you assess your own work environment and identify problems.
If you regularly work on computers, you are also entitled to a free eyesight test and additional free glasses for computer work, if recommended by your optician.
Your employer should also assess and reduce any risks of work-related stress from home working. Measures taken to reduce the risk include providing support from managers/supervisors, facilitating regular contact with colleagues, monitoring workloads and having good communication mechanisms in place for homeworkers.
Legal disclaimer
The information contained within this article is not a complete or final statement of the law and is based on the laws of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
While UNISON has sought to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date, it is not responsible and will not be held liable for any inaccuracies and their consequences, including any loss arising from relying on this information. If you are a UNISON member with a legal problem, please contact your branch or region as soon as possible for advice, or for non-employment matters call UNISONdirect.