Working From Home? Know Your Rights & Obligations
More employers are now offering ‘Working From Home’ arrangements for their employees. Are those employees who work remotely from home covered by the same laws and regulations as those who work in the office/on site?
Worksafe Queensland maintain that any employer who allows their employees to work from home, continue to have a duty of care towards the employee and must take reasonable steps to ensure the worker’s health and safety in the home environment.
Therefore, an employee who sustains an injury whilst working at home may be eligible to claim workers’ compensation claim, provided the injury was sustained in the course of the employment. Whilst the employer has the ongoing duty of care of its employees working from home, those employees also have obligations to meet (such as observing all procedures provided by the employer and health and safety policies).
This can include:
- Ensuring a safe working environment (e.g. lighting etc)
- Using appropriate workplace equipment;
- Reporting changes or factors that could affect the health and well-being of a person working from home;
- Maintaining work equipment in good, well-maintained condition;
- Keeping safety equipment (e.g., smoke alarms, fire extinguishers) in good working condition; and
- Ensuring proper procedures are followed for how work is done.
If you have any questions about your rights as an employee working home or if you have suffered an injury while performing your work at home, please contact AMK Lawyers today for advice.
