Working from Home & Remote Working | Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Business continuity and risk management planning – important tips every employer needs to consider.
Updated 17/3/20
As Governments around the world attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19, thousands of people who can work from home are being encouraged to do so. Greater social distancing has been advised and the result is this could end up being one of the largest working from home experiments ever conducted!
Both employers and employees will learn much from this exercise in remote working over the next few weeks or months and this could help shape the future of how we work that might not have been possible within the context of some organizational cultures and industries.
Even before this pandemic was announced, remote working was becoming more accessible for white-collar workers.
But now, with the situation changing so rapidly, Governments are urging employees to arrange with their employers to work from home if possible, and to voluntarily quarantine themselves if:
- * they have flu type symptoms (fever or respiratory difficulties)
- * have traveled to at-risk areas
- * have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19.
You can access the latest updates from the Australian Government Department of Health at: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert
In addition, The Queensland Government has recently introduced measures to fine persons up to $13,345 for failing to comply with enforced quarantine orders and the penalties are higher in other states. Some countries have introduce measures for all international travelers to be quarantined for 14 days.
Employers therefore need to respond quickly to these changing requirements. For some, the need to set-up safe working from home or remote working arrangements is now a priority and will need to be factored into their business continuity and risk management plans. For some employees this will mean working from home for the first time. They will need to figure out how to remain productive and produce results despite distractions and possible technological issues. Employers may not have managed employees remotely before so communication breakdown can occur especially without a suite of remote technological tools.
The key to resolving any issues is communication between employers and employees. Morale and productivity can be impacted by long periods of isolation so employers and managers are encouraged to communicate regularly with their staff.
Following are some of the essential requirements employers need to consider when setting-up arrangements for their employees to work remotely or from home:
1. Injury, Illness & Incidents
The same Fair Work legislation and Workplace Health and Safety rules apply to employees working remotely and from home.
If an employee is injured or takes ill whilst working remotely or from home, the usual reporting of illnesses or injuries need to apply, along with the requirement to notify the relevant authorities if it is a work-related injury.
To limit the risk of a work-related injury when working remotely or from home, employees should be instructed and guided to conduct a workplace assessment to see if there are any potential hazards or safety risks.
2. COVID-19 WHS Advice
Safe Work Australia are advising workplaces to limit access to the workplace unless necessary. Call Direct Health Australia (1800 022 222) for advice if a worker is confirmed to have COVID-19 and to inform co-workers about possible exposure to COVID-19 – but maintain confidentiality. Advise workers to seek immediate medical advice if they develop symptoms or are concerned about their health.
For businesses where workers are at increased risk from contact with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 (e.g. healthcare industry), specific industry guidance is available at www.health.gov.au.
3. Work Performance
In some instances, expect that your employees work performance may be adversely affected.
For example, last week the Apple CEO told employees to work from home to take refuge from the coronavirus. Now a week later, they are discovering that slow home network speeds and confusing security restrictions are impacting their ability to work effectively.
4. Communication
Manage expectations and advise your employees of the need to remain contactable via phone and email during their normal work hours and to maintain customer service standards. Face to face video conferencing (e.g. Skype calls) and meetings are encouraged.
5. Security (Property & Cyber)
Employees should be made aware of the need to report any security issues or theft of company property when working remotely or from home.
Using personal devices and/or unsecured Wi-Fi networks are also a risk that needs to be assessed to ensure adequate tools and software is installed to prevent the risk of malware, unauthorized access and viruses finding its way onto devices and both personal and work-related information from being leaked.
6. Insurance
Consider whether your Company’s Insurance Policies will cover any lost or damaged equipment or other property being used when an employee is working remotely. If not, will your employees be required to notify their household insurer of their working from home arrangements?
If you need some extra support developing your strategies or understanding your workplace legislative obligations don’t hesitate to contact us at Human Resource Services on (07) 5530 1571.
