Employers are being reminded that health and safety responsibilities extend beyond traditional workplaces and apply equally to staff working from home. The guidance comes as remote and hybrid working arrangements continue to shape working life across Great Britain.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, businesses must assess the risks faced by employees working remotely in the same way they would for staff based on site. The regulator emphasises that these responsibilities form part of existing legal duties rather than optional guidance.
Home and hybrid working is now common across sectors and business sizes. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in January 2026, 38 percent of workers in Great Britain were working remotely or in some form of hybrid arrangement. Within this group, 25% were hybrid workers and 13% were working fully remotely.
The increase in home-based work has prompted renewed attention on employee wellbeing and safety outside the traditional workplace. The regulator is encouraging employers to review how they manage risks for staff who may spend part or all of their working week at home.
Employer Responsibilities for Home and Hybrid Workers
The Health and Safety Executive advises employers to focus on several key areas when managing the safety of home workers. These include stress and mental health, the safe use of display screen equipment and the wider working environment.
Employers are also expected to consider potential accidents emergencies and the challenges associated with lone working. These risks may arise even when employees are working remotely and require appropriate management measures.
Barbara Hockey from HSE Engagement and Policy Division said, “Working from home can deliver benefits to both employers and employees but with more than three in ten workers now working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement, it’s important that employers understand their responsibilities.”
The regulator notes that risk assessments do not always require physical visits to employees’ homes. In many cases employers can identify and manage risks through communication guidance and basic checks carried out by staff themselves.
Hockey explained, “The good news for bosses is you don’t need to physically visit someone’s home to fulfil your duties, most of the time the risks are low and the steps to manage them are straightforward and HSE provides free guidance to support you.”
Communication And Work Environment Checks For Remote Staff
Practical management of home working risks often relies on regular communication between managers and employees. According to the regulator this includes discussing workload training needs and expectations around working hours.
Hockey said, “Practically this means managers keeping in regular contact with their teams talking openly about workloads and training needs and making sure people aren’t under pressure to work outside their normal working hours.”
The guidance also highlights the importance of checking the physical working environment. Simple steps such as ensuring equipment is safe and undamaged can help prevent accidents or injuries while working at home.
“It also means having simple conversations about the physical environment by asking staff to visually check that their equipment is safe and not damaged keeping work areas clear of trailing wires or obstructions and making sure everyone knows what to do in an emergency.”
As home and hybrid working remain a regular part of employment across many sectors employers are being encouraged to integrate these checks into existing wellbeing and safety practices.