Remote working

Any work which takes place off campus is considered as remote working for the purposes of health and safety legislation. Remote working includes:

• working from home (home working)
• working from another site (tele working)
• working while mobile − such as from a vehicle (agile working)

We owe the same duty of care to our employees regardless of where they work. Consequently, all employees owe the same duty of care to themselves and others as they would if they were working on campus. Any remote working should be the subject of a risk assessment, taking into account any exposure to hazards and other factors likely to increase the risk. Risks could include:

• lone working
• personal safety
• transport safety

Incidents which take place remotely must be reported as they would have done had they occurred on campus.

Working from home

You could be working from home because:

• it is your permanent place of work
• it is part of your normal work pattern as agreed with your line manager
• it is useful occasionally to complete a project or task

Workstation assessments are a key aspect of working from home because computer based work is the most common activity. A poor workstation can result in:

• physical musculoskeletal disorders
• visual tiredness and fatigue
• mental stress

If you work from home on a planned, regular basis, you should complete a workplace self-assessment form.