press release
Insurers beware as flexible working arrangements increase
7 January 2008
With over three million people now choosing to work from home,
law firm Browne Jacobson is warning insurers to beware of the
potential rise in the number of claims from employees suffering
injuries while working away from the office.
Helen Rideout, solicitor at the firm’s Nottingham office
said:
“The concept of working from home is nothing new and has
been around for over 20 years, but with a lack of training and
safety controls, this could lead to a number of employee related
personal injury claims which insurers need to be aware
of.”
With remote workers on the increase many employees’ homes have
now legally become the ‘workplace’. Therefore when staff are
working away from a controlled environment the risks increase as
the employer has less control over that working environment. A
recent survey revealed that out of 100 IT directors, 78% were
allowed to work from home, but 35% said they didn’t perform any
statutory health and safety checks and a further 21% were unable to
confirm either way.
“Depending on the nature of the work carried out and the
frequency of home based working, it’s the employer’s duty to
minimise the risks to the employees’ health and carry out the
necessary steps to ensure a safe working environment and therefore
prevent any claims,” explained Rideout.
New telecommunication technologies and the advancement in
electronic networking has had a big influence on this growing trend
to work from home, meaning people can practically work anywhere
from internet cafes to hotel rooms. One of the benefits of flexible
working means older age groups can continue to work when commuting
to the office becomes difficult, according to International Labour
Organisation Study by Di Martino in 2001. This age group is also
faster growing than younger employees, but on the flip side they
may be more likely to develop personal injuries such as repetitive
strains and the subsequently make claims.
“At present there have been very few reported cases of
employee related personal injury claims, due to remote-working.
However there has always been a lag between a new trend and a
following legislation. Prevention is always the best advice and
therefore establishing systems to ensure health and safety
guidelines are met will reduce the likelihood of litigation and
claims,” concludes Rideout.
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