You are…right? Your employer is…right? There’s a big debate in many circles, and we want to invite you to it because the lines between professional and personal spaces are increasingly blurred. While the flexibility of working from home is embraced by many, questions about the responsibility for creating a safe and productive home office setup is being debated by others. So, who should make sure that your home workspace is safe? – your employer or you? Let’s dive into the debate.
Would You Work Like This?
Picture this: You’re handed a laptop on your first day at your employer’s office and pointed to a spot on a sofa in a drafty corner. That’s where you will work for the next 8 hrs, 5 days a week. There’s no desk, no ergonomic chair, and no thought for proper lighting. Sounds absurd, right? You wouldn’t want that, and of course, you’d expect more from your employer. Haven’t they heard of health and safety!
Yet for some employees, this is what they have chosen to do when working from home. Perched at the dining table, slouched on sofas, leaning forward with their laptop on a low-laying coffee table. This raises a critical question: Why are the expectations and standards for a home office setup so relaxed at home, compared to the office?
Is it the Employer’s Duty of Care for your Home Office Setup – or yours?
Under UK law, employers have a legal duty of care to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees—even when they work remotely.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to conduct risk assessments, including :
- Providing appropriate equipment: An ergonomic chair, desk, and monitor can prevent long-term health issues like back pain and eye strain.
- Compliant electrical equipment: Ensuring that work-provided tools, such as laptops and chargers, meet safety standards.
- Enforcing good practices: Offering guidance on how to create a safe and productive home setup.
However, there are grey areas when it comes to personal responsibilities. Employers may provide the tools, but are employees obligated to use them correctly in their home office setup?
Employees should obviously (to most!) play their part in maintaining a professional setup. Personal responsibility includes creating a space that minimises distractions, is free from hazards, and is conducive to focused work.
- If your dog darts through the room, causing tea to spill on your laptop, is it fair to blame your employer?
- You’re working from the kitchen table, and the chair finally gives way, leaving you with a bruised tailbone. If your employer never provided a proper chair, who’s at fault?
- You work from the sofa because you lack a proper desk, but over time, you develop back pain. Is it reasonable to expect your employer to provide ergonomic equipment, or does the responsibility fall to you?
- A family member overloads the sockets in your shared home office, causing a power surge that damages your work laptop. Is this considered a workplace hazard, and does your employer bear any responsibility?
Should employees bear the cost of desks, chairs, and even broadband upgrades, or does this responsibility ultimately lie with the employer?
Impacts to a Business when Failing to Address Home Office Setup Issues
We are all very aware there can be health implications from poor posture and inadequate setups which can cause musculoskeletal problems and long-term health issues. An increasing absenteeism!
How about productivity losses because of the distractions at home, hindering efficiency?
Employers who neglect their duty of care risk liability for “workplace” injuries, even in a home setting. Can find themselves with legal implications!
So, Who SHOULD Be Enforcing Home Office Set up Good Practice?
Well, that’s the debate….
Best practice employers should provide clear guidelines, resources, and even financial support to help workers set up compliant home offices. Regular check-ins and remote risk assessments can ensure standards are met. Home working Risk Assessments should go further than generic Display Screen Equipment (DSE) checks.
Employees too, should self-audit their setups, ensuring they continue to meet ergonomic and safety standards. HSE set out that Employees have obligations to ensure their own safety and the safety of others.
The debate is ultimately about balance. Employers must recognise a poorly equipped home office is as unacceptable as a poorly equipped “office” workplace. Meanwhile, employees must acknowledge their role in maintaining a professional and safe working environment.
The next time you settle onto your sofa with your laptop, ask yourself: “Would I work like this in the office …. 5 days a week?”
If the answer is no, it might be time to rethink your policies and standards. And the shared responsibilities that come with it. Maybe it’s time to talk to your employer about their legal duty of care.
At MyTeamSafe®, we’re passionate about supporting workplace safety and employee wellbeing. Start your journey to a better job today with confidence and our tips in hand.
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