Working from Home Policy
This Working from Home Policy creates a process for working from home requests and the key expectations for any employees working from home. This policy also helps protect your company and employees by establishing key work health and safety, data security and availability requirements for anyone working from home.
4.2 (27 reviews)
Last updated November 22, 2024
Under 5 minutes
Suitable for Australia
Written by
Edwin Montoya Zorrilla
Reviewed by
Damin Murdock
Document Overview
This Working from Home Policy can be used to implement a process for managing working from home requests, along with ensuring that any approved employees are working in a safe and productive manner. This policy can also be used to clarify employee obligations around taking personal leave and the return of company property in the event of an employee ceasing employment.
The Legal Risk Score of a Working from Home Policy Template
Outlining Discretion
It is important to understand that working from home is not an entitlement or contractual right. It is important to include a clause which gives the employer absolute discretion in allowing employees to work from home to avoid potential legal challenges. It is recommended to provide clearer guidelines and criteria for approving work-from-home arrangements, ensuring fairness, transparency, and consistency in decision-making.
Outlining Safety
Employers have an obligation to ensure employees are safe when working from home and are completing their tasks in a safe environment. In response, working from home policies should outline that there may be a requirement to prove the safety and suitability of the home workspace.
Ramifications of Non-Compliance
When drafting working from home policies, it is important to ensure that the criteria for withdrawal or change are clearly defined, and that employees are given a fair opportunity to address any issues before the arrangement is terminated. These policies need to clearly state the repercussions that may arise if employees are not compliant.
Using Lawpath’s Working From Home Policy template grants you the comfort of ensuring full compliance and the minimisation of legal risk.
Working from Home Policy Checklist
Complete your free Working from Home Policy with our checklist
Keep the document readily available
Employees and managers should have the document handy as an easy reference for their obligations.
Use this Policy if:
- You need to establish clear procedures for working from home requests;
- You want to ensure that the home working environment for any remote employees is safe, and that key risks which might impact employee health and safety have been considered and managed;
- You need to have clear expectations in place for employees who do work from home, including expectations around the security of confidential information, compliance with IT procedures, and availability during work hours;
- You would like to ensure that employees are aware that the existing terms and conditions of their employment continue to apply while working from home; and
- You want to establish that working from home practices are subject to approval and may be revoked if appropriate.
What does this Policy cover?
- The process for requesting working from home arrangements;
- The right to ask employees to complete an assessment of their working environment to ensure a safe and healthy working environment;
- Clarifying key employee expectations around work health and safety, the use of company equipment, compliance with security and IT processes or policies, compliance with company directions and performance while working from home; and
- Notification processes for employees who need to take personal leave, and the return of Company property on termination of employment.
Further information:
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