<Insert business name> is committed to providing a safe and healthy place of work as far as reasonably practicable for all workers and this extends to staff who work from home from time to time. Allowing home-based work provides flexible working arrangements for staff to assist in balancing the demands of work and family/personal life. <Insert business name> recognises that promoting flexible working arrangements has mutual benefits.

The opportunity to work from home is not an entitlement or a right, and can only occur by formal agreement between <insert business name> and the worker.

A worker may work from home for regular periods of time under certain conditions, which are described below. One-off or occasional work from home for a few hours does not require formal agreement although approval must be obtained from management. However, <insert business name> is mindful that duty of care responsibilities still apply.

The duties to be performed whilst undertaking home-based work need to be clearly detailed and formalised in the Agreement prior to commencing such an arrangement. Likewise measurement of output and supervision shall be agreed upon prior to the arrangement being in place.

Requirements:

The Manager will review, and where necessary, liaise with the WHS Working Group, in relation to the WHS Risk Analysis Checklist with the worker and assess compliance with <insert business name>’ s WHS Policies & Procedures:

• Where the worker has met with management and has confirmed that all requirements have been met in the WHS Risk Analysis Checklist and that all WHS Policies & Procedures have been complied with, no home based inspection will be required.
• Where the worker has met with management and has been unable to confirm that all requirements have been met, a home based site inspection may be necessary. This will be undertaken by the designated person who will determine the suitability of the proposed working from home arrangements. In the event that the home-based arrangements do not comply with <insert business name>’s WHS Policy and Procedures framework the home-based work arrangements should not be approved until appropriate changes have been made.

The area of the worksite within the private dwelling shall be clearly identified and recorded in the Agreement.

Contact arrangements will be agreed between the worker and <insert business name>.These may range from diverting the worker's work number to their home base, limiting member contact to email or screening of calls by another work colleague if appropriate and practicable. The worker’s home contact details will remain confidential and will not be provided to other people unless the worker has agreed in advance.

The consent of the worker working from a home-based site is required before access can be confirmed to a home-based site. Reasonable access should not be denied for reasons that include:

• Routine maintenance of equipment and supplies;
• Assessing and monitoring security arrangements of equipment and documents;
• WH&S inspections;
• Incident investigation and supervision.

All WHS policies that apply to workers of <insert business name> in general shall, as far as practicable, apply in carrying out work at the home-based site. 

Manager responsibility

• Agree on contact arrangements.
• Review the WHS Risk Analysis Checklist with the worker and assess compliance with <insert business name> WHS Policies and Procedures.
• Ensure that the Working from Home Policy is implemented in an appropriate manner.
• Ensure that all Working from Home Agreements are formally authorised and recorded, and forwarded to relevant Manager for inclusion on the worker’s personal file.
• Remind the worker to update the WHS Risk Analysis Checklist and the Working from Home Agreement if any changes have occurred.
• Review the agreed and signed arrangements after six months.

Worker responsibility

• If home-based work is desired and practical, express their interest to management and complete the Working from Home Agreement including the WHS Risk Analysis Checklist.
• Identify the equipment required to undertake work duties at the home based site.
• The worker must ensure that arrangements are in place for the security of the computer network and that the worker whilst working from home will abide by the standards and guidelines as defined in the relevant <insert business name> policies.
• The worker will complete the WHS Risk Analysis Checklist and forward it to their Manager, who will then in turn forward it to the WHS Working Group.
• The worker must comply with all requirements as set out in the Working from Home Agreement.
• Update the WHS Risk Analysis Checklist and the Working from Home Agreement if any changes have occurred.

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