Homeworking

Homeworking is a flexible working agreement that enables staff to work from home for some or all of the time.

Homeworking can be considered for a wide variety of posts. It is acknowledged that not all jobs or staff may be suitable for homeworking. Some jobs are intrinsically not suitable (e.g. roles requiring delivery of face-to-face patient care beyond access through virtual clinics).

Homeworking at UHB will look different for every role. Below are some ways in which it can be considered.

Ad-hoc homeworking

This occurs when a member of staff wishes, with the approval of their line manager, to work at home occasionally and irregularly for a specific purpose
In this definition the office remains the main place of work
Requests will be approved by the line manager on a request-by-request basis and should only be used for a short-term specific purpose

Ad-hoc may be appropriate if someone is unable to get to work due to:

an accident or injury
adverse weather
strikes i.e. teacher or transport
a major incident, as a temporary measure

Additionally it may be used to work on a specific project or piece of work.

Note: Homeworking should not be used where the medical opinion is that the person is unfit for work.

Regular homeworking

This is where a member of staff has applied for and received line manager approval to spend a regular and substantial proportion of their working time as a mix of office/site working and homeworking
In these arrangements, a member of staff will be considered a home worker for the period of time they are working from home
Example, a member of staff works from home every Monday and Wednesday

Permanent homeworking

This is where a member of staff works 100% of their hours at home. This would still allow for on-site attendance from time to time as and when required, on an ad-hoc basis

Permanent homeworking could be relevant in areas where:

The role does not require regular on-site presence
The job market determines that permanent homeworking is a competitive benefit, for hard-to-fill posts
It is necessary to open up a new talent pool and enable a more diverse workforce e.g. to support a candidate with a disability, where the nature of their disability may mean they could be meaningfully employed if enabled to work from home

On-site attendance

Regular homeworkers are expected to be available to attend on-site when needed, for example for training or where face to face meetings are required.

Permanent homeworkers must attend on-site if required to do so for a legitimate and unavoidable reason.

Further information

Benefits of homeworkingDetails of the benefits of homeworking for both the Trust and staff.Homeworking request processGuidance for UHB staff on requesting to work from home.Homeworking points to considerPoints to consider for UHB staff when working from home.Before agreeing a requestInformation for managers and staff prior to agreeing a homeworking request.Equipment and workstation for working from homeDetails on the equipment and workstation required when working from home.Information governance and data protectionDetails on information governance and data protection for staff working from home.Adverse or major incidentsInformation on homeworking due to adverse or major incidents.Guidance for managersGuidance for managers with staff working from home.Guidance for staffGuidance for staff when working from home.Homeworking FAQsList of frequently asked questions relating to homeworking.Homeworking formsDownloadable forms for homeworkers.Pilates videosRelaxing Pilates videos to help staff who are spending more time in front of a screen due to COVD-19.