The Return to the Office: Facing up to the Challenges
The world today is very different to what it was even just a few short months ago. The global COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a rush for organisations to get their staff working from home, without having the time to properly consider the wider impact that long-term working from home would have on businesses and their staff.
There is no doubt that embracing home working can be highly beneficial to Employers and Employees. However, to ensure companies are able to provide the best possible support, whilst complying with the law and keeping their company data safe and secure, it is important Employers understand the potential challenges associated with home working.
The Health and Wellbeing of Employees is Paramount
Employers have exactly the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as for any other workers. As well as needing to comply with the Duty of Care and Health and Safety regulations, employers also need to consider the mental and physical health of their home workers.
According to the “Homeworker Wellbeing Survey”, carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies on April 7th 2020 after just 2 weeks of lockdown the following increased Physical Health problems were reported:
58% of respondents had aches/pains in neck
56% had aches/pains in shoulder
55% had aches/pains in back
55% had headaches/migraines
37% had leg cramps
33% had chest pains
60% had fatigue
60% were not active & vigorous
It is clear that there are some risks that need to be considered and overcome in order to allow employees to work from home long-term, safely and effectively.
This is where the FortressAS Home service comes in.
Our unique offering involves us working closely with your COO to provide a five-point service that helps to:
- agree corporate standards for health and safety, technology and security.
- educate and survey employees against the agreed standards.
- report on assessment, explain gaps, agree next steps with budget and process.
- supply and fit regulated “home office” upgrades e.g. keyboards, mice, desks, chairs etc.
- ongoing tech support, maintenance, disaster recovery, and office access for meetings/training.
- ensure you meet all regulatory compliance when it comes to your employee’s working from home.
Standardised, compliant and resilient, the FortressAS Home working environment aims to reduce risk and improve productivity.
To Find Out More
To learn how the FortressAS Home solution can help you improve the well-being of your home-workers, reduce your office costs, and improve your operational resilience, download our brochure here.
