Implications of Home Working

In the UK, we are currently in our 13th week of lockdown.

The Government announced yesterday that there will be a significant easing of lockdown measures from 4th July. But as life starts to return to normal, the guidance remains that those who can work from home should continue to do so.

At forburyTECH we’ve considered some of the technological and practical implications of home working, which may need further consideration if your current home working set up looks to continue long term.

Insurance

Most standard home contents insurance policies will not cover items that are used for “business or professional purposes”.

If you run your own business and you need to keep any products or stock at home, these items are unlikely to be covered under the terms of your contents policy. If your contents insurance is not adequately covering all of your home working equipment or stock, you may need to take out separate business insurance.

Although lockdown measures do not currently permit this, as restrictions relax it may be that colleagues or clients attend your home for meetings etc. If this is the case, you are likely to need additional liability insurance cover to protect yourself/your business from any claims brought by those entering your home for work related reasons, who suffer accidental harm.

Start by checking your existing policy to see what you are covered for currently, to work out what additional cover you need.

Security

It’s estimated that over 30% of Britons have been contacted by scammers since the start of the pandemic. Fraudsters are targeting those working from home by trying to take advantage of the weaker security systems in employees’ personal internet and firewalls. Speak to your employer if you are concerned about how secure your home computer is and notify your IT department if you have received any unexpected emails or calls. This could help to alert them to cyber attacks which may be targeted at your whole business.

Employees that are working from home should be storing their laptop, files, client information and data securely over night and when they leave the house. Discuss with your staff how they are ensuring security of such items, especially client information. If your employee is a victim of a burglary or cyber attack, and client data is leaked, it is your business that will be in breach of data protection laws and could face a fine from the ICO for not ensuring that data was securely stored.

Equipment

There is no legal obligation on employers to supply equipment to facilitate home working. However, if equipment is supplied, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure this is safe to use and in good working order. Employees have a responsibility to ensure their home working environment is adequate to perform their required duties and safe to work in. We recommend that employees undertake a self risk assessment of their working space. Electrical equipment should be checked for faults and equipment should be fit for purpose to avoid injuries or harm.

Please get in contact to speak to one of our team about further implications of home working.