FREMONT, CA: Whether at the office or home, employers must treat their workforce the same. Measuring the risks involved for an employee when working at home is more challenging than when the employee is at the office Over the last few years, work from home has gained significant traction. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has, however, transformed the dynamics of office work completely. From an emerging trend, work from home became an absolute necessity. Social distancing and lockdown implications meant working at the office was no longer possible.
Over the last five months, companies have been functioning with their employees working while at home. This has several benefits for the workforce. Working from home is believed to provide a much-needed work-life balance. Workers no longer need to commute for hours to and from work. Employee work timings have become more flexible, and this has resulted in increased efficiency.
However, employers must not think that their responsibilities towards employees have reduced. Like the workplace, employers must continue to remain responsible for their employees’ health and wellbeing. The law backs this in several countries. Whether at the office or home, employers must treat their workforce the same. Measuring the risks involved for an employee when working at home is more challenging than when the employee is at the office. HR managers need to give this a lot of thought and devise a suitable plan to assess the remote workforce’s health and safety.
Home risk assessment has become an essential part of every organization after work from home became a necessity. The HR managers have to ensure that an employee’s home is suitable for carrying out work from home. They need to understand if the employee requires any assistance from the employer. Home risk assessments allow HR managers to do the same. The role of HR managers is essential in every organization structure. They form a vital link between employers and the workforce. Conducting home assessments falls under an HR employee’s domain. The HR department should set the terms and conditions to govern the workforce.
While HR teams need to conduct home risk assessments, it is also their responsibility to ensure the confidentiality of the results and discuss them with the employees strictly on a one on one basis. This increases an employee’s confidence in the HR manager and makes them comply better with the guidelines, resulting in increased efficiency. While conducting these assessments, HR managers must consider all factors that possibly affect the working atmosphere for an employee. Creating a productive work from home guide is one way to increase employees’ awareness of suitable working conditions.
