I have Attached Work From Home Policy
1. POLICY
1.1 This Policy has been compiled to ensure all workers fully understand and are able to comply with the Company’s Working from Home procedures. No worker has the right to work from home, but every worker has the right to have his/her application considered. A decision will be based on the assessment of work activities , skills, competencies as well as health and safety considerations.
1.2 Working from home may be combined with any overall working pattern, whether full or part-time.
2. DEFINITIONS
2.1 A home worker is someone who undertakes a significant proportion of work from home on an agreed regular and predictable basis. An individual undertaking of occasional or ad hoc working is not considered to be a home worker.
3. PROCEDURE
3.1 Assessment of work activities, skills and compentencies
3.2 The Business Unit Director shall also assess that the work itself is suitable for home working:
3.2.1 How much face to face interaction is required with other task holders in the team or on the project?
3.2.2 Is there a frequent need to refer to documents not available at home?
3.2.3 Is there a constant need for access to resources or other colleagues?
3.3 These issues may present obstacles – but there may also be ways of overcoming them, so the Business Unit Manager will need to look at reasonable ways of dealing with these issues without summarily dismissing the possibility of home working.
3.4 Other considerations for the Business Unit Director would relate to the qualities of the home worker. Home working requires certain skills, abilities and qualities. For example the home worker will need to:
3.4.1 be able to cope with the reduced social interaction and contact;
3.4.2 be trustworthy, mature, self disciplined and self motivated, i.e not be distracted from working, be able to complete the expected working hours, and be able to work without direct supervision;
3.4.3 be able to arrange their family or other commitments to facilitate a suitable working regime and environment;
3.4.4 have good communication skills, for example be good at report writing and verbal reporting;
3.4.5 (where necessary) be willing and able to use new or different communications and IT equipment;
3.4.6 have higher than average self discipline and self management skills, particulary time management.
4. TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE
4.1.1 there is a clear understanding by both parties of what is expected of each and on what timescale
4.1.2 there are agreed arrangements for the immediate line manager and the employee to review progress jointly at appropriate intervals
4.1.3 there is a clear understanding of how any development/training needs will be met in cases where working from home is likely to occur over an extended period
4.1.4 satisfactory arrangements are in place for ensuring that employees working at home over an extended period are kept in touch with developments of their department/resource group and receive appropriate Compay communications
4.1.5 there is no risk to commercial security arising from any need to work with documents or computer data off-site
4.1.6 there are appropriate arrangements to cover any insurance liability
4.1.7 due regard has been paid to any health and safety implications
4.1.8 the commitment to an employee to allow homeworking is not open-ended and it is clear that it will only be renewed if the arrangement is proving completely satisfactory to both parties.
4.2 Company Authorised Working from Home Agreements / Procedure
4.2.1 If an employee has a reason to request working flexibly they must put this request, formally, in writing to their line manager and HR Consultant in the first instance.
4.2.2 The employee’s HR Consultant will then arrange a meeting with all parties to discuss the options available.
4.2.3 If agreed the employee will receive a written agreement, which they will be required to sign.
4.3 Equal Treatment:
4.3.1 Where employees are working at home for a significant proportion of their time, line managers must ensure that they keep in frequent touch with the employee, and employees and line managers must ensure that all the requirements of the Performance Track system are met.
4.3.2 Employees should be treated no less favourably than those working within an office. line managers must also ensure that the training needs of the employee are fully considered and that they are offered training opportunities in the same way as those working in an office/site.
4.4 Home Office Space:
4.4.1 The employee will be required to make available a suitable space in their home, which will allow for undisturbed home working. This includes furniture, which would be suitable for long periods of computer work e.g. suitable table and chair which meets the same or similar standards as required within an office environment. Suitable furniture if not already available in their home would need to be purchased at their own expense.
4.6 Computer Equipment and Support:
4.6.1 iNet will not procure any desk top computer equipment (computer, printer etc). The employee can however put in a request to their manager to be supplied with a laptop, which they will be required to use on any occasions that they also work from an ______ office.
4.6.2 If home broadband has been purchased by a staff member who wishes to connect their ____ laptop to it, the Customer Support Desk (CSD) should be contacted who will advise on a standard router and send through an instruction sheet for configuration of the router. The router should then be purchased by the individual staff member or through their business unit if the business is funding it. iNet are not responsible for the procurement, configuration or support of the router.
4.6.3 If home broadband has been requested and is being funded by the company for an individual, that staff member has responsibility for ordering the broadband through an ISP advised by the CSD. The CSD will also advise on the router to be procured through the relevant business unit. In this situation where the company has requested and is paying for a broadband connection to allow someone to work from home, iNet will not procure, but will configure the router before giving it to the staff member to connect, and support it there after.
4.6.4 Any day to day IT queries would need to be sent to the CSD in all instances as per normal office workers.
4.6.5 iNet will not visit the employee at their home address to resolve any such issues unless in a pre-authorised arrangement with the ____ iNet Director.
4.6.6 Please see the following iNet policies for further information:
4.6.7 ____ ____ Laptop Policy
4.6.8 Cost of ____ Devices Providing Mobile Internet Connectivity
4.6.9 Laptop User Guidelines
4.7 Reimbursement of telephone costs:
4.7.1 Reimbursement of charges for using the employee’s home telephone for calls or network connection must be made via the Company Business Expenses claim form procedure. All expense forms must include the relevant itemised bill.
4.7.2 When there is a written pre-authorised agreement allowing the employee to work from home the full cost of broadband, including installation, will be reimbursed. This will only apply whilst broadband is cheaper than any dial up connection and in order for this not to be subject to tax as a benefit in kind, must only be used for work purposes.
4.8 Insurance:
4.8.1 As working from home on a regular basis may affect the employee’s home insurance policies, employees should inform their insurance company before commencing with any agreement. If as a result the home insurance premium for either contents or buildings is increased, employees will be liable for such costs. Employees should also check that the terms of their mortgage allow for working from home.
4.9 ____ Stationery:
4.9.1 Any ____ stationery items which the employee will require in order to produce ____ work can be ordered via their local office and either collected by them or posted to their home address.
410 Attendance at any ____ offices:
4.10.1 Despite any pre-authorised home working arrangements if the employee is required to attend an ____ office for internal/external meetings, office briefings etc they will be given advance notice and expected to attend.
4.10.2 If the employee’s pre-authorised Working from Home agreement stems from the employee’s need to be working at home due to illness or disability then attendance at an ____ office will be reviewed on an individual basis.
4.11 Mileage:
4.11.1 If the employee has a pre-authorised agreement to work from home but the employee is required to visit a client, their local ____ office or another ____ office, then their business mileage can be claimed from their home base.
4.12 Ad hoc Working from Home
4.12.1 Any ad hoc working from home still requires pre-authorisation from the employee’s line manager.
4.12.2 Working from Home will only be possible if:
§ the employee has a company provided lap top
or
§ the employee has work which does not require the use of a computer and can be taken home
4.12.3 Occasions when this is likely to be approved would be under the following cirumstances:
§ the employee is required to work on a bid or project that requires self contained, dedicated effort and which could be completed more efficiently than at their normal place of work.
§ When the employee has a personal commitment which could accommodate a short term working from home arrangement.
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