
In this section you will find Guidance on Working from Home for Employers and Employees below, which will assist with planning for on-going agreed remote working arrangements. You will also find FAQs on working from home on a temporary basis in this section.
- Guidance on Working from Home for Employers and Employees which will assist with planning for longer term agreed home working arrangements, and
- FAQ's about working from home on a temporary basis for:

Guidance on Working from Home for Employers and Employees
This guide will enable employers and employees to understand their responsibilities when planning working from home arrangements, under safety, health and welfare law. Temporary work
arrangements may have arisen when working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic but responsibilities remain the same.
At Appendix 1, you will find a Homeworking Risk Assessment / Checklist to help employers (or a competent person acting on their behalf) and their employees to carry out an assessment of the home working environment. It can be downloaded and completed as an online form.

Employer FAQ's for Working from Home on a Temporary Basis
These frequently asked questions will help employers to understand what is required of them and their employees when working from home, on a temporary basis, for example, during the COVID-19 pandemic or on an ad hoc basis. For guidance on putting on-going working from home arrangements in place, please refer to the Guidance on Working from Home for Employers and Employees.
In this section:
1. What are the key duties of employers under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act?
Employers have specific duties to ensure the safety, health and welfare at work of all employees. These duties include the employee’s workspace where employees are required to work from home.
Key duties that apply to the work activity and workspace include:
- managing and conducting all work activities to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare of employees
- providing safe systems of work that are planned, organised, and maintained
- assessing risks and implementing appropriate control measures
- providing safe equipment including personal protective equipment, where necessary
- providing information, instruction, training and supervision regarding safety and health to employees
- having plans in place for emergencies.
2. What duties do employees have under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act?
If you are an employee working from home, you have a responsibility to take reasonable care of yourself and other people who may be affected by the work you are doing.
Employees must:
- cooperate with their employer and follow their instructions
- protect themselves and others from harm during the course of their work, e.g. take care of any equipment provided and report any defects immediately to the employer
- report any injury arising from work activity to their employer immediately
- follow procedures that have been put in place by their employer.
3. What responsibilities do I have as an employer in relation to home workers?
Responsibility for health and safety at work rests with the employer whether or not that work is being done at the worker’s home.
Employers need to consult with their employees to assure themselves:
- that the employee is aware of any specific risks regarding working from home
- that the work activity and the temporary workspace are suitable
- that they provide suitable equipment to enable the work to be done
- that there is a pre-arranged means of contact.
4. What equipment must I provide for my employees to enable them to work from home on a temporary basis?
Equipment already in use in the workplace e.g. laptop, mouse, monitor, appropriate chair, keyboard and headset could be used for temporary home-working. If the employer provides any equipment, it must be in good condition and suitable for the work activity.
Note: Suitable equipment already available in the employee’s home can be considered for temporary work from there.
5. What questions do I need to ask employees in relation to their temporary home work space?
As an employer, you must determine whether the temporary home workspace is suitable for the work you want the employee to do.
Examples of questions you could ask about the temporary workspace include the following:
- do you have a suitable space to work from temporarily?
- can you access the workspace easily and safely?
- is there adequate light, ventilation and heat to allow you to work comfortably?
- is there enough space to allow you to work without twisting, bending or sitting/standing awkwardly?
- is there enough workspace to accommodate the equipment or other materials needed for the activity?
- is the floor clear and dry, e.g., kept clear of electrical cables or anything else you could trip over / slip on?
- is the workspace free of clutter?
- are electrical sockets, plugs and cords in good condition e.g. no charring, exposed wiring or frayed cables?
6. As an employer what do I need to consider when preparing vulnerable workers, those with disabilities, or sensitive risk workers to temporarily work from home? (e.g. pregnant employees, young persons and those with mobility needs)
In requesting an employee from a sensitive risk group to work from home, the employer should consider the suitability of the person to the work in the context of their home working space. It is essential that work tasks and working conditions do not adversely affect the health of employees with a disability, pregnant employees, and young workers.
The employer should consider the following in relation to the employee’s work and workspace:
- safe access to the workspace
- the equipment necessary to complete the work
- sufficient workspace
- adequate lighting, heat and ventilation to allow comfortable working
- adequate breaks
- regular contact
- emergency contacts and procedures.
Further information on 'Sensitive Risk Groups' can be found here.
7. As an employer, must I assess the workstation of an employee if they are working from home on a temporary basis?
Employers should complete online ergonomic assessments of an employee’s home workstation if they are working from home on a temporary basis, for an extended period of time (e.g. during COVID-19 pandemic). This can be done through video calls or through the use of other technology platforms in order to make sure that the workstation is set up correctly. You will find information on how to carry out a homeworking risk assessment and who is competent to carry out that assessment in the Guidance on Working from Home for Employers and Employees also located above.
8. What other general supports and means of communication do I need to put in place for home workers?
Working from home can result in employees feeling isolated, working longer hours and blurring the lines between work and family life. It is important that employees know they have support at all times during working hours.
Employers should consider the following:
- ensuring all contact details for employees are on file and agree means of contact
- arranging regular updates via phone, web or email with each employee
- providing employees with emergency contact numbers
- arranging IT support in the event of technical problems where relevant
- providing employees with information detailing when it is important for them to contact their employer
- making sure work is organised in such a way that the employee takes regular breaks and can separate his/her work life and daily life
- providing employees with regular feedback on their work
- encouraging employees to maintain contact with colleagues.
9. Where can I find further information?
Further information on COVID-19 is available at hsa.ie or you can email your enquiry to wcu@hsa.ie.
For daily government updates on Covid-19, visit gov.ie.
Other useful sources of information are:
- Health Service Executive (HSE) - Coronavirus Information
- The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) also provide advice for specific groups and settings including employers, healthcare professionals and education settings available here
- Work Safely Protocol - Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Employee FAQ's for Working from Home on a Temporary Basis
These frequently asked questions will help employees to understand what they can expect when they are working from home, on a temporary basis, for example, during the COVID-19 pandemic or on an ad hoc basis. For guidance on more formal working from home arrangements being put in place, please refer to the Guidance on Working from Home for Employers and Employees.
In this section:
10. What are my responsibilities as an employee, when working from home?
If you are an employee working from home you have a responsibility to take reasonable care of yourself and other people who may be affected by the work you are doing.
You must:
- cooperate with your employer and follow their instructions
- protect yourself and others from harm during the course of your work, e.g. you must take care of any equipment provided and report defects immediately to your employer
- report injury to your employer immediately
- follow procedures that have been put in place by your employer.
11. How should I prepare for home working on a temporary basis?
If your employer has requested that you work from home, you will need to consider the following:
- agree temporary working from home arrangements with your employer, including regular communication with them
- identify with your employer the work to be done at home
- identify what equipment you need to set up a safe workspace at home and agree these items with your employer
- equipment already in use in the workplace e.g. laptop, mouse, monitor, appropriate chair, keyboard and headset could be used for temporary home-working. If the employer provides any equipment, it must be in good condition and suitable for the work activity
- identify a suitable safe space within your home for home working
- agree plans and contacts to be used in the event of an emergency.
Note: Suitable equipment already available in the employee’s home can be considered for temporary work from there.
12. How can I best set up my temporary work space?
Identify a suitable space within your home for home working.
When identifying a suitable space consider:
- suitable light, heat and ventilation to be able to work comfortably
- keeping the work space tidy
- making sure the floor is clean, dry and free from slip, trip and fall hazards
- suitably located power sockets to avoid trailing cables and overloading of sockets
- internet access.
Identify what equipment you need to work temporarily from home and agree these items with the employer. Such equipment may include:
- a headset if dealing with frequent phone calls
- IT equipment
- work phone
- adequate stationery.
For more detailed information on good positioning at your workstation use our 'Position Yourself Well' guidance.
13. Why is it important that I keep in contact with my employer, when working from home?
It is important that a good system of communication is in place when you are working from home to ensure your safety, health and welfare is not compromised in any way. You also need regular contact for updates on work related information and feedback on the work you have completed. It will also help to prevent you feeling isolated.
Outside these pre-arranged contacts you should also contact your employer if:
- you have an accident arising from your work activity
- the equipment your employer has provided you with is not working properly or requires maintenance
- you have a specific query or concerns relating to safety, health and welfare.
14. Where can I find further information?
Further information on COVID-19 is available at hsa.ie or you can email your enquiry to wcu@hsa.ie.
For daily government updates on Covid-19, visit gov.ie.
Other useful sources of information are:
- Health Service Executive (HSE) - Coronavirus Information
- The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) also provide advice for specific groups and settings including employers, healthcare professionals and education settings available here
- Work Safely Protocol - Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment