What are working from home and teleworking?

Both sides must consider what equipment will be necessary for home working and agree who is to provide what. If there are other people in your house, you should discuss the consequences of working from home with them. (You don’t want to make such a big change in your working life only to discover that it causes stress at home that outweighs all the advantages of flexibility and of not commuting.)

Employers and home workers should also be aware of issues such as insurance. If a company supplies equipment, then it usually takes on the responsibility for insuring it – it is cheaper for a company to add a laptop computer to its general insurance police than for an individual to insure one privately. You should always let your own insurance company know that you have started to work from home – sometimes this might gain you a discount on your household insurance as burglars will less likely to break in during day time.

Find out how to put forward your case to work from home.

Further information

• New Ways to Work, 22 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5AP (020 7930 3355) offers information on a range of flexible working patterns to individuals, unions and employers.
• European Teleworking Online.