A guide to remote working for employers

Posted 2 days ago

Looking for a complete guide to working remotely for your employees? We’ve got you covered. In this guide, we’ll cover everything from tips to the benefits of remote working, as well as discuss all of the legislation that you should be aware of. See this as a remote working checklist for employers perhaps. So let’s get started.

What is remote working?

When we talk about remote working, it usually refers to employees being able to work from a place outside of the normal office. For most people, that’ll be at home, but it can be other places too.

There are usually two types of remote working:

Fully remote: Refers to working entirely outside of the main office setting.

Hybrid: A mix of remote working and office working.

Check out our blog ‘What is remote working?’ to find out more.

The benefits of remote working for both employers and employees

Remote working has plenty of benefits for both your business and your employees. When employees are happy, generally, your business does better. A study by Oxford University’s Saïd Business School found that happy workers are 13% more productive!

Here are some of the biggest benefits of remote working for employers and employees:

Employer benefits

Larger talent pool
Reduced absenteeism
Cost savings
Business continuity
Staff retention

Employee benefits

Improved work-life balance
Save money
Reduce stress
Comfortable working environment
Able to live anywhere

Top tips for your staff working from home

If you’re looking for ways to support your staff who are working from home, take a look at our top 10 tips for working at home and share them with your staff. After all, this is a guide to working remotely:

Encourage them to get up & get dressed
Separate work from home
Set boundaries
Go outside/take a walk
Keep in contact with colleagues
Take breaks
Take sick days when ill
Support their work-life balance

How can you support the mental health and wellbeing of remote workers?

When employees are working from home, it’s important that you do everything you can to support their mental health and wellbeing. For some, it can feel lonely being home alone all week when working remotely, but there are things you can do to reduce these effects.

Some of the examples mentioned above can help with positive wellbeing too, such as making clear boundaries, taking breaks, creating a dedicated workspace, and supporting staff with things like Employment Assistance Programmes (EAP).

Two of the main ways to support the health and wellbeing of remote workers are with risk assessments and by following Display Screen Equipment (DSE) regulations. Find out more in our blog ‘How employers can support the mental health and wellbeing of remote workers’.

Common remote working hazards

Talking about DSE, it’s crucial that DSE training is undertaken to prevent health issues and to comply with The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992.

There are a few common remote working hazards that you and your staff should be aware of such as:

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
Slips, trips, and falls
Stress and burnout
Loneliness and isolation
Mental health issues
Eye strain, screens and lighting
Faulty equipment

All these can be mitigated with risk assessments, ergonomics, healthy habits, communication and support!

Remote working legislation to be aware of

There are numerous legislation that outline the responsibilities of employers for their homeworkers, covering rights to flexible working, GDPR, and Health & Safety. The remote working legislation for employers to know about include:

Get remote working training with iHasco

We hope this guide to working remotely comes in handy! Here at iHasco, we also offer a range of accredited online training courses that have been built to help keep staff safe, happy, and productive whilst working remotely. Some of our most popular courses include:

GDPR

We’re already helping thousands of organisations just like yours, and we’d like to help you too. Why not check out our range of courses for the care sector today by claiming your free, no-obligation trial? Alternatively, you can request a bespoke quote and we’ll be in touch to discuss your unique training requirements