The scope of homeworking policies must be comprehensive. This creates a risk that the volume of material becomes unmanageable, and the manager finds it easier simply to say ‘No’. Managers may wish to avoid the chore of handling the procedural issues. Fear that specialists will make the processes too complex may also be a deterrent.

The HSE provide comprehensive guidance on safety and homeworking, which is simple to follow and designed to be used, rather than rewritten within an internal document.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg226.pdf

A homeworking policy should cover:

• Ownership: ensuring that a proper register is maintained and signed logging all equipment, including desks, chairs, and IT. This is to avoid argument when the employment ends.
• Responsibilities: specifying who is responsible for security, physical and electronic, and insurance; ensuring any confidential material is protected and making arrangements for statutory testing of electronic equipment.
• Supervision: identifying the special issues arising from homeworking, such as sickness reporting, lone-working risks, training, keeping in touch, targets and standards; and clarifying expectations about working hours. If the homeworking is output based with no requirement as to the exact times of availability, this should be included as a contractual variation.
• Financial issues: specifying what provision is made, if any, to support home costs (these may be offset by reduced travel costs), telephone, internet charges, etc.
• Hotdesk provision for those times when the employee works at the office.
• Periodic review. It may be prudent to set up the arrangement on a ‘trial’ basis and to review its operation, from all points of view, from time to time.