Keeping Remote and Hybrid Workers Safe: What Employers Need to Know
This article draws on guidance and information produced by NIG Risk Assist.
Working away from a fixed base - whether from home, on the road, or alone at a client site - creates challenges that on-site working simply does not. Health and safety responsibilities do not change based on location, and the risks facing remote, hybrid, and lone workers deserve the same careful attention as those working on your business premises.
Hybrid and Remote Working: The Scale of the Challenge
Hybrid working is now firmly embedded in UK working life. A survey by Embryo found that over 30% of full-time UK employees are now hybrid workers, splitting their time between home and a fixed workplace. For others - lone workers and remote workers - the daily workplace may be a vehicle, or a location with no colleagues present at all.
Under health and safety regulation, an employer’s responsibility for staff safety does not change, regardless of where or when staff work. For those working on-site and in clear view, the working environment can be directly managed, maintained, and monitored. For staff working alone or remotely, this is more complex.
The risks associated with remote and lone workers include:
Workstation hazards for homeworkers - such as trailing cables, inadequate furniture, and poorly positioned screens
Equipment safety - whether company-owned or personal - including faulty electrical devices and overloaded extension leads
Driver safety - including lack of vehicle maintenance and failure to carry out basic safety checks
Personal safety - including the increased vulnerability of those working nights or travelling to unfamiliar locations
Health and wellbeing - including feelings of isolation, disconnection from colleagues, and the effects of digital burnout
Homeworking: More Than Just a Laptop on the Kitchen Table
The growth in homeworking has brought real benefits - greater flexibility, reduced commuting costs, and a better work-life balance for many employees. But it also creates responsibilities that require active management.
For any homeworkers using display screen equipment (DSE), whether full-time or part-time, employers must ensure a DSE assessment is completed and any required actions taken. This may include providing appropriate IT equipment or workstation furniture. Employees can complete a self-assessment provided they have been given suitable training. The HSE provides free guidance and a DSE workstation checklist for homeworkers, and it is good practice to ensure a homeworking health and safety assessment is completed as part of any remote working arrangement.
When the Vehicle Is the Workplace
For workers whose primary workplace is their vehicle, road safety is a central concern. It is estimated that up to a third of all road traffic accidents involve someone who is at work at the time. Employers need to ensure that all drivers - whether in a principal driving role or simply making a short journey on behalf of the business - are aware of how to keep themselves and others safe. The HSE’s guidance on driving and riding safely for work covers risk assessment, vehicle management, driver competence, and your legal obligations as an employer.
Personal Safety and Security for Lone Workers
Personal safety is a concern for lone workers throughout the year. Adverse weather, poor lighting, and working at unsociable hours can all increase risk - particularly for those travelling alone or working in unfamiliar locations. Night workers may also face heightened anxiety when travelling to and from shifts.
A risk assessment for lone workers should cover the nature of the work, the environment, how staff can raise the alarm if something goes wrong, and how supervisors will monitor their wellbeing. The HSE’s lone working guidance for employers provides a practical framework for carrying out risk assessments and developing a safe working method statement. For those with staff working shifts, the HSE’s guidance on managing shiftwork is also worth reviewing.
Staff Wellbeing: The Hidden Risks of Working in Isolation
Monitoring staff who work off-site can be more demanding than when they are visible on business premises. Beyond physical safety, there is the added concern of the mental health impact on those working in isolation - particularly remote workers who may feel disconnected from colleagues for long periods.
One growing issue is digital burnout, where home and remote workers feel pressure to always be connected and available. Prolonged screen exposure and difficulty switching off can result in tiredness, anxiety, depression, and poor sleep. Reassuring remote staff that they are not expected to be always available, encouraging regular breaks, and promoting proper working hours can help prevent this.
There is also growing awareness of productivity paranoia - where remote workers feel their output is being questioned due to their lack of visibility, leading them to overwork or push through illness. Addressing this openly is part of good remote management practice.
It is also worth considering the wellbeing of line managers and supervisors responsible for remote staff. Managing a team you cannot directly observe brings its own pressures, and they may need additional support too.
The HSE provides guidance on work-related stress and mental health that is a useful starting point for any employer looking to support the wellbeing of off-site workers.
Not Sure Where Your Cover Stands?
If you are unsure how your current business insurance extends to remote, hybrid, or lone workers - or whether you have the right Employers’ Liability or Management Liability cover in place - get in touch with the Talbot Jones team. We work with businesses of all sizes and can help you understand where your exposure lies.
