Teleworkers receive health warning

According to John Girard, vice president and research director of mobile strategies with the Gartner Group, companies consistently violate their employees health and safety rights and benefits with poorly implemented teleworking practices.

While the law demands employers maintain certain health and safety standards on company premises, there are no regulations governing people working from home.

Teleworkers are advised to tailor their specific contract terms to ensure safety regulations are met and that company-sponsored insurance and benefit programmes are still valid.

But Girard claims this isn't being done. He said: "There is a pervasive ignorance about teleworking. It is inconsistently and improperly implemented. Often the IT department is put in charge of it but that's just a reactive move based on equipment. It doesn't take into account the safety and social issues involved."

He added that some simple industry driven regulations could save a lot of lawsuits. "In the US, any home workplace accident or injury not specifically addressed by regulations will be settled using the 'deep pockets' scenario.

"Managers should ensure that company sponsored insurance programmes provide coverage for telecommuters. Equipment should be covered. Work at home terms should be explained in policies and contracts."

In the UK, 5.8 per cent of the work force are involved to some degree in teleworking, according to the most recent Labour Force Survey. That rate is expected to grow between 20 to 45 per cent per year over the next few years.

While UK employers are beginning to recognise the merits of teleworking, Stephanie James, policy advisor on employment practice with the British Chamber of Commerce, admits that safety issues are way down their list of priorities

She told silicon.com: "It hasn't come up as an issue yet, and that worries me. I would guess that people just haven't thought about it. I think people just implement teleworking without thinking about legal implications. They talk about it and they want people to do it, but last on their list of priorities are contractual liabilities. I can see it as a potential problem."

Bob Crichton, managing director of HOP associates, a consultancy firm specializing in mobile working, agrees that UK employers are unaware of the pitfalls facing them as teleworking takes off here.

"Potentially there are liabilities for employers. There are health and safety regulations on taking breaks from your computer screen, on sitting positon, on repetitive stress. If the company does not provide a suitable chair, desk, lighting etc, even in a home office, it could be a problem."

"A company does not lose its liability for an employee just because they don't work in the office," he added. " It boils down to health and safety training. The issues are easy to sort out as long as you set about sorting it out. "