Online Solicitor

A home-worker is somebody who only works from home. These people usually have practical jobs, though telecommunications and web-related jobs are also often conducted from home. There are advantages and disadvantages to working from home and the rights a home-worker has are entirely dependent on whether they are employed, self-employed or workers.

Employers who have employees working from home must, amongst other things, ensure their employees are safe at work. This includes full training in using the equipment or machinery, handling hazardous substances and lifting heavy loads. Employees must also be made fully aware of the dangers involved in their home-work role, including the elongated use of computer screens or other display units. In short, many of the health and safety requirements for employees in the workplace are also the case for employees working from home. Of course, employers cannot be held responsible for any environmental hazards in the employee’s own home.

Employers are legally required to consider requests to work from home from parents of young and/or disabled children. They are not, however, legally required to allow these employees to work from home or to pay them for time taken to look after dependents. Conversely, unless stated in the employment contract, employers cannot force employees to work from home against their will or make employees take work home with them.