What is working from home?
Working from home means workers work from their own home, alone or with other household members present.
Working from home arrangements may be:
- ongoing
- temporary or ad hoc
- for all of a worker’s hours, or
- only for part of a worker’s hours (e.g. hybrid arrangements where workers still attend the office part time).
These arrangements may be put in place to suit the needs of:
- the PCBU (e.g. downsizing offices)
- the worker (e.g. less commuting or more flexibility), or
- due to external factors (e.g. public health directions or severe weather events).
Is working from home right for your business or undertaking?
A range of WHS issues need to be considered before work is done from home and you may need to change how work is done. Working from home may change WHS risks or create new ones, and may impact how you meet your WHS duties. For example, how you consult with workers, identify hazards, or implement control measures.
Working from home may not always be practical or suit all types of work or workers. For example, if specialist equipment or face to face interaction is required. If you cannot manage your WHS duties to prevent harm to workers when working from home, you must not require, or agree to, workers working from home.