Key Considerations When Managing a Remote Workforce
Due to the current government restrictions, you may have implemented the option to allow your employees to complete their work duties remotely from home. While it’s fantastic that today’s modern technology allows us to stay connected virtually from anywhere in the world, in Australia Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Laws, as well as other laws and regulations still apply when working remotely.
Before you allow your employees to start working from home, there are a few legal considerations you should keep in mind to safeguard your business and employees.
There are a number of risks to consider when allowing your staff to work from home - we have outlined some of the main factors to consider. Along with the below, we recommend getting in touch with a team of legal experts to ensure all SafeWork and FairWork requirements have been met to avoid future legal consequences.
Create ergonomic workspaces
Ergonomically unfriendly work areas when working remotely can pose a risk to your employees safety and productivity. To minimise the risks, you can follow the SafeWork Australia guidelines to provide your employees with guidance on what a safe home office environment looks like, including work station set up and taking regular breaks. We recommend referring your employees to a self-assessment checklist for good ergonomic practices to keep on file. If your employees do not have the appropriate equipment to fulfil their duties at the same standard as in the workplace, we recommend considering your options to provide them with the necessary workstation equipment.
You can download SafeWork Australia’s ‘Ergonomic guide to computer-based workstations’ here.
Implement a clear remote work policy
Prior to having your employees start remote work, ensure that a clear ‘Work From Home’ policy has been developed and communicated with your staff. Think about your existing workplace policies and procedures and how they apply when working from home. These can include policies surrounding notification of incidents, injuries, illnesses, hazards, and changes in circumstances; as well as consultation and review of WHS processes; and attendance, timesheets, leave and other entitlements.
Identify the risks that working from home may present and try to address them in your policy if possible. Risks could include physical risks from a poor work environment (such as a poor workstation set up, inadequate heating/cooling or lighting, electrical safety, home safety. Psychosocial risks such as isolation, which is very prevalent in the current climate, reduced social support from team members, or online harassment, and family issues may also pose risks. Consider implementing a procedure in your remote work policy to check-in and stay connected with your team.
Leverage tools that encourage connectivity and collaboration
Though working remotely is a great option, especially allowing adaptability during these uncertain times, it’s important to set guidelines to not only encourage collaboration and socialisation within your team, but also to implement appropriate accountability to ensure regular work duties are completed as normal.
There are many tools available that can make your team’s transition to a remote working environment equally as productive and effective as working in the office. Consider tools such as a task manager system like Employee Life to track your team’s tasks and progress. You may also want to consider setting daily or weekly meetings as a team and one-on-one to check-in with your employees.
For further guidance and legal advice developing a ‘Work From Home’ Policy to protect your business and employees, contact our team at Optimum Legal on 07 3228 8400 or info@optimumlegal.com.au