The New Norm - Working from home

Working from home is now the new norm. Since the beginning of lockdown in March people were working in their kitchens and spare rooms temporarily. However, it now seems this is the new norm, with people remaining set up at home until next year at the earliest!

Even though the government are urging employees to return to the office, it has been said that almost 50,000 employers won’t be expecting their staff to return before 2021. Being prepared for just a few months at home was simple, extending this has left people with many questions. We are here to answer those questions for you.

Getting set up

To start with you’re going to have to know how to set up your own home office in order to stay efficient and make working from home as effective as being in the office. Many computer retailers reported a growth in orders for laptops from companies for staff who were in need of computers at the start of lockdown. However, not all employers will pay the expenses for you, so many employees are having to foot the bill themselves to set up their home office.

Even if the employers don’t cover the costs for your home office risk assessments will need to be carried out to prevent any claims against them for things like repetitive strain injury. If the wrong equipment is being used at home, then employers can be liable against claims to do with the health and safety of their employees. Now that working from home is not a short-term situation it means that there needs to be more consideration and thought from organisations, this involves expenses, more time for queries from staff and ensuring they are still getting the rights they are entitled to.

Rights you’re still entitled to

Just because you are not in the office there are still rules and regulations for your company to follow in order to maintain your entitlement to have time away from your desk. These rights are things such as sick days, maternity/ paternity leave and also holiday.

Employers are still obliged to let employees take holiday, even though you may feel uneasy about leaving the country in these uncertain times, it is good to book some time away from your new office every now and again to regenerate and refresh the mind.

This also applies to employees that are pregnant. If an employee is pregnant then the same rules still apply that would in the office, risk assessments still need to be done to ensure that they are not being overworked, and they will also be allowed maternity leave once they have the baby at the same wage they would if they were usually in the office. One benefit people have found from working from home while pregnant is that they do not have to commute and having access to everything they may need instantly.

Efficiency and Productivity

Efficiency for some of the leading companies in Europe as well as new businesses has been very productive as it lead to some of these businesses closing their offices. Most companies have followed in their footsteps and done the same, as it has been lucrative for both staff and the company in regards to travel costs, rental space and utility bills. After a survey was done with a majority of our clients it came back as only 3% of people want to go back to the office.

Overall, many people have favored the new norm over working in their office. As it is much more convenient and cost efficient. So ensure you are prepared with the right equipment and enjoy being right on your doorstep when 5 O’clock comes!

Charlotte Day – Social Media Manager