The COVID-19 global health pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented number of UK employees working from home as they seek to protect themselves and their families from the risk of infection while also seeking to support government efforts to help “flatten the curve” and reduce person-to-person transmission of the virus.
Inevitably, this has had a profound impact on society, the workplace and, of course, on employer liability insurance considerations.
For example, pre-Covid-19 many employers had little to no knowledge of how their employers’ liability insurance needs might apply to their employees who work from home. And, unfortunately, for many employers who are looking to weather the disruption caused by the pandemic, business insurance needs have taken a backseat to more immediate-seeming challenges such as finding effective ways to communicate and providing access to office IT systems.
Yet there is an equally if not more pressing factor for employers to consider: their legal and insurance obligations as they relate to the health, safety and general wellbeing of people on their payroll. This cannot be overlooked; employers owe homeworkers similar duties to those owed to employees who operate in the office or on site.
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations all employers have responsibility to the health and safety of their workers, this includes in relation to equipment they provide them with in the home workspace.
As such, the employer’s statutory duty to provide “a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work” extends to those who have had to work from home during the CV-19 pandemic.
In most cases this should be quite simple to achieve as it will include the employee making a self-assessment of their working environment, including their chair, desk and computer. If the employer provides any other equipment, they must check to ensure that it is safe for use in the home environment. Only in very few cases, will the employer be required to make a visit to the employee’s home, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Any employer who has not done so should make checking the status of their employers’ liability insurance cover a priority in order to ensure that their policy terms cover the new working dynamic.
In the event that any review of the policy terms reveal holes in the employer’s homeworking cover, they should speak to their broker or business insurer to arrange additional protection; any failure to ensure this could result in the business being exposed to unnecessary risk in the event of an employee suffering work-related injury or ill-health while working at home.
Tredstone works to help businesses find cost-effective and quality cover and combine this aim with efficient, informative and friendly service.
Whether you are looking to review your business insurance risks, are looking for cover in response to your changing needs in the CV-19 pandemic or have some other concern, talk with us today for help with your employers’ liability insurance and more.