Employees working from home

Responsibilities of homeworkers

Employees who work from home have a number of key responsibilities. They should:

• check whether there are any restrictions on homeworking within the terms of their lease, mortgage or tenancy agreement for the property
• keep their insurance company informed about the new use of their home
• check if planning permission will be required and apply for it if necessary, though this is unlikely to be the case for a home office
• check if business rates rather than council tax are payable on the part of the property used for work
• ensure their own health and safety and the safety of anyone visiting or living in their home who could be affected by their work

Employees should also be aware that if they set aside a room to work in that has no domestic purpose, they may be liable for capital gains tax if the property is sold.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• Advantages and disadvantages of employees working at home
• Types of work and skills suited to home working
• Employment contracts and working from or at home
• Kitting out people who work at home
• Manage employees who work from home
• Your health and safety obligations towards homeworkers
• How technology can facilitate working from home
• Responsibilities of homeworkers
• Here's how I manage the performance of my homeworkers and keep them motivate

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