Working from home has become widespread since restrictions to control Covid-19 were introduced in the UK. “There are a lot of potential distractions when we work from home,” says Eyre-White. Disciplinary and grievance procedures. A change of scene is all we need to give our brain a break, and it’s the perfect time to put a load of washing on or empty the dishwasher.”. Do you need to put control measures in place to protect them? “When we’re in the office our day is normally broken up with meetings. Coronavirus (COVID-19) support is available. There are some simple steps people can take to reduce the risks from display screen work: The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors has published infographics to help people working at home. As lockdown restrictions have varied, some workers have begun returning to their offices, at the discretion of their employers. As an employer, you have the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as for any other workers. Home working can cause work-related stress and affect people’s mental health. So in that situation employers do not need to ask them to carry out home workstation assessments. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. However, many others are continuing to work from home, attempting to keep their motivation levels as high as possible as they navigate working in a domestic environment. The guidance can be applied across any sector where working from home is a feasible option for both workers and businesses. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Italian police officers set a road block in Codogno, Northern Italy, on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. This includes them doing workstation assessments at home. UNISON is working proactively with the UK governments and other bodies to keep you safe at work. This also includes making sure you make time to make proper meals and drink water regularly, rather than snacking continuously throughout the day and then crashing in a sugar slump at 3pm. “Switch from home to work mode,” she says, by having something you physically do to “flip the switch”. As any period of temporary home working extends, employers should have regular discussions with workers to assess whether additional steps are needed, for example where they report: Where employers decide to make working from home arrangements permanent, they should explain how to carry out full workstation assessments and provide workers with appropriate equipment and advice on control measures. Employers and employees should be practical, flexible and sensitive to each other's situation when working from home because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 2. The health and safety toolbox: How to control risks at work, Deciding who will help you with your duties, Reporting accidents, incidents and diseases, How to carry out a COSHH risk assessment, Simple checks to control dust and mist. The prime minister will update MPs and … Beta This is a new way of showing guidance - your feedback will help us improve it. If your people are working from home you should: provide the equipment they need, for example a computer, phone and videoconferencing facilities; keep in regular contact with them, making sure you discuss their wellbeing; How to protect home workers Of those who did some work from home, 86.0% did so as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “A wide, open day working from home can feel full of possibilities. The government has been working with industry and partners to monitor the impact of coronavirus on the UK supply chain of medicines and technology and put in place measures to protect UK patients. When someone is working from home, permanently or temporarily, as an employer you should consider: There will always be greater risks for lone workers with no direct supervision or anyone to help them if things go wrong. As an employer, you have the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as for any other workers. Advice on time off during coronavirus, using and carrying over holiday, and returning to the UK. For example, working in 45-60 minute chunks of focused work followed by a short break. And we've just discovered another one. BORIS JOHNSON held a press conference on Thursday to deliver the latest public health advice on the coronavirus outbreak in the UK… Being in an office gives us a limited number of ways to get distracted but when you start working in a new environment (especially a very familiar one) it can be easy to let yourself get distracted. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. If you can’t work from home your employer should make sure your workplace is ‘Covid-secure’. If you are self-isolating but cannot do your work at home, then, by law you should at least receive statutory sick pay. At the start of the first lockdown, only key workers were expected to leave their homes to go to work, with the government advising everyone else to only leave their households to buy food, medicine or to do one daily form of exercise. It doesn’t matter what it is but do it without fail to create a strong association in your mind,” she says. From 6 January, a national lockdown applies in all of England. Although this can be frustrating, they divide the day up and create natural chunks of time,” explains Eyre-White. Working from home as most of us are, the challenges around privilege and confidentiality are different to those in the office. breaking up long spells of DSE work with rest breaks (at least 5 minutes every hour) or changes in activity, avoiding awkward, static postures by regularly changing position, getting up and moving or doing stretching exercises, avoiding eye fatigue by changing focus or blinking from time to time, aches, pains or discomfort related to their temporary DSE arrangements, adverse effects of working in isolation, on remote IT systems, working longer hours without adequate rest and recovery breaks. Millions of workers have found themselves facing the prospect of having to work from home for long periods of time due to the coronavirus pandemic. A view of the empty entrance to the Università Cattolica (Catholic University) in Milan, northern Italy, on 24 February, 2020. For others, it's just like any other week. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. A view of a deserted street in Codogno, northern Italy, on February 23, 2020. It can be difficult to tear yourself away from your laptop if you’re worried people might think you’re slacking off, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take breaks. Put procedures in place so you can keep in direct contact with home workers so you can recognise signs of stress as early as possible. How to stay focused when working from home. everyone who can work from home must do so; if you cannot work from home, plan your journey to avoid crowds Working from home during coronavirus. Research has shown that having a diagnosis of high blood pressure is associated with increased death rates in … If working from home is our post-coronavirus future, let’s not forget its complex past. This document details practical steps and considerations for employers and employees which will allow them to create healthy, sustainable homeworking conditions using the SHARE approach. You’ll return feeling refreshed and more productive for the rest of the day.”. Can face masks really protect you against coronavirus or flu? A supermarket closed in Codogno, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown, on February 23, 2020. This page has been updated to take account of working arrangements during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. “This can be an effective way to break the day up and maintain your concentration levels,” she says. Working from home two days a week is the most popular option, but one in 12 people are planning to ask their employer if they can work from home permanently, its report indicated. There is no increased risk from DSE work for those working at home temporarily. This has meant a major shift for individuals and organisations. (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk) Coronavirus has meant loads of people are now working from home … Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. On 4 January 2021 national lockdowns were announced for England and Scotland. For some equipment (eg keyboards, mouse, riser) this could mean allowing workers to take this equipment home. Coronavirus (COVID-19): update This page has been updated to take account of working arrangements during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. For the latest government guidance: in England, see national lockdown advice on going to work on GOV.UK; in Scotland, see Scottish Government advice on working from home It's also a good idea to wash your hands frequently and wear a face covering. “Maybe it’s walking round the block, making a special kind of tea, or lighting a candle at your desk. Britons will be told to ‘work from home if you can’ as one of a package of new measures to fight the second wave of coronavirus. However individuals who have to self-isolate for 14 days when returning to the UK from some countries abroad (continually under review by the UK government ) are not eligible for statutory sick pay if they do not need to self-isolate for any other reason. You can only leave home for work purposes where it is unreasonable for you to do your job from home. Keep in touch with lone workers, including those working from home, and ensure regular contact to make sure they are healthy and safe. 'We need people to start working from home where they possibly can,' declared Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread throughout the UK… On 22 September, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that, in a bid to slow the second wave of the coronavirus, any workers who can work from home should do so – for another six months. But Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, said coronavirus will have a long-lasting effect on how people in the UK work, with a step change in the proportion of people working from home on a … Employers should try to meet those needs where possible. It’s fair to say there have been a lot of twists and turns since then, and a lot of emotional pressures. Tips on happier ways to work from home in the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Working from home shouldn't mean that you don't socialise with anyone. HSE aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. Overview of homeworking. 145 things on the to do list? Coronavirus: 'Work from home if you can' and 10pm nightlife ban as government tries to tackle virus surge. Will young workers be the victims of the decline of the office? On average, each of these workers will save £44.78 a week by cutting out things like commuting and buying lunch out. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. A man wearing a face mask crosses a road in Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Coronavirus: Coping with the challenges of working from home. Distinguishing between work and home mode is essential, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. This includes banning companies from buying medicines like insulin that are meant for UK patients and selling on for a higher price in another country. WORKERS with underlying health issues might be wondering if they can ask to work from home as coronavirus continues to spread. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. This results in 23.9 million Brits working from home are saving around £1.1 billion each week between them. No problem! This practical workstation checklist may help them. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. Empty streets in Daegu, South Korea, on 23 February 2020. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Two different vaccines have been approved for use in the UK so far. Don’t forget that you are there to work - so set yourself up the right way, get dressed and brush your teeth at the start of the day rather than sitting in your pyjamas for eight hours. For those who might find themselves at home for an extended period of time, what is the best way to maximise productivity, maintain good physical and mental health, and not spend all day in your pyjamas when working from home? You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. It is also important to have an emergency point of contact and to share this so people know how to get help if they need it. The Government has said everyone in the UK should avoid "non-essential" travel and contact with others to help curb the spread of coronavirus as patients continue to multiply in the UK. Empty streets in Daegu, South Korea, on 23 February, 2020. A new report commissioned by the business division of mobile operator O2, which is based on two recent surveys of UK workers, has found that 45% of respondents predict a permanent change in their employers’ approach to flexible working when the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) lockdown lifts.. Don’t fall into the trap of being over-ambitious,” says Eyre-White. “So proactively manage things which might interrupt your focus.”, She explains: “Keep them limited to short breaks in between chunks of focused work. Boris Johnson says everyone should work from home where possible, We asked Karen Eyre-White, a productivity coach and founder of, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty, How to be productive when working from home. “If you’re the kind of person who'll miss your colleagues when you work from home, build opportunities for socialising in to your day,” says Eyre-White, who recommends trying to call colleagues rather than always email or Slack messaging. Instead, she recommends being realistic and then possibly achieving more than you set out to; and feeling satisfied, rather than feeling disappointed you didn’t do everything. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. “ In contrast, a day at home can be very unstructured.”. A lone cyclist wearing sanitary masks pedals in the center of Codogno, Northern Italy. 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