A recent judgement involving a Telstra worker injured whilst working from home has highlighted the increasing prevalence of home offices, and raised a number of implications that employers need to be aware of and manage.

The case involved a worker who was injured by falling on stairs in the house in which the home office was situated. Earlier judgements confirmed that the injury was work-related and compensable.

The recent judgement has confirmed the worker’s right for ongoing compensation for a psychological injury resulting from the unrealistic demands of her return-to-work plan, and highlighted again the potential risks arising from home-based work.

QRMC has discussed this case, and the considerations employers should take into account when managing work from home, in an earlier edition of Insight. With the release of this most recent judgement, it is timely to reflect on the issue again.

The most critical requirement for the persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) is to ensure that a thorough risk assessment of work-from-home arrangements is undertaken (and regularly updated).

Such a risk assessment should consider, at minimum:

  • Whether the office is appropriately set up from an ergonomic/manual handling perspective
  • Whether appropriate and fit for purpose equipment has been installed in the office
  • Whether appropriate emergency response processes have been developed and implemented
  • Whether workplace environmental conditions, including lighting and ventilation, are adequate
  • Whether housekeeping and storage arrangements are appropriate
  • Whether the context of the home office is free of hazards (including pathways to amenities in the building, to parking areas etc.)
  • Whether properly detailed management processes for safety inspections, communication, etc. have been put in place for managing work from home.

With the regular undertaking of proper risk assessments, and the implementation of identified risk controls, PCBUs can have a greater level of confidence that the safety of those workers operating in a home office environment has been assured.

Please contact QRMC for more information.