Home office and prevention: Seco recommendations

The term telework covers any form of work in which employees work outside the company premises using electronic means of communication. Home office refers to any professional activity that employees perform wholly or partially, regularly or irregularly from home. Home office is one of the new forms of work that has increased significantly, especially since the pandemic. Certain professional categories tried working from home for the first time during the pandemic. This has changed the habits as well as the perception of home office in the society. This is also evidenced by the fact that numerous companies and public administrations promote working from home and want to maintain this form of work on a permanent basis.

Labor law is independent of the place of work

The aim of the Labor Act (ArG) is to protect employees from health impairments due to the working environment. The corresponding regulations comprise two pillars: on the one hand, health protection in general, and on the other, working hours and rest periods, which also have an impact on health. The ArG applies in principle to all private and public companies and the workers they employ. The provisions of the ArG are applicable regardless of the place of work, which is why teleworking or home office is not mentioned in the law. Employers are obliged to ensure the health protection of their employees and to implement the necessary measures, even if the employees work in a home office. In concrete terms, this means that they must take preventive measures and issue appropriate instructions, as well as provide information in a comprehensible manner about the currently known risk factors. It should also be mentioned that employees cannot claim a right to work from home. The provisions on health protection apply unchanged in any case. All provisions of the ArG are applicable, such as those on maximum working hours, the recording of working hours, rest periods, and the prohibition of work on Sundays, public holidays and at night.

What matters in the home office workplace

Working in a home office is characterized by the fact that the working as well as the social environment at home is different than in the premises of the company. In the home office, the rhythm is less set by other team members and there may be disruptions from family members. Also, the space and furniture are not always suitable. According to the scientific literature, the specific working conditions in the home office environment can cause damage to health without appropriate preventive measures. The desire to benefit from the advantages of the home office does not justify exposure to the associated health risks in the medium and long term. The Seco brochure mentions three areas where such risks exist. First, the health risks associated with workplace design: work in the home office is mostly screen work in the same sitting position all the time. A workplace that is not ideally set up can lead to uncomfortable positions and poor posture. Together with the often lack of movement, this can cause health complaints in the medium to long term. It is therefore important that office furniture meets certain ergonomic criteria.

Health risks must also be considered when working at home

Secondly, the health risks associated with the temporal organization of work: In the home office, both work life and family and social life take place in the same place. This can lead to a blurring of the boundary between free time and working time, which may create tensions (e.g. in the family). The autonomy of home office workers in organizing their time and work can lead to atypical working hours or daily structures. For example, employees may forego breaks and/or work too long overall. In addition, working in a home office can create the expectation that the person in question must be constantly available at home (by e-mail, telephone, etc.), even outside the agreed working days and hours. If employees in the home office feel obligated to be permanently available, this can lead to stress with health consequences. Thirdly, there are the so-called psychosocial risks: When working at home, there is no clear separation between work and private life. The lack of familiar fixed points requires adjustments in work organization, interpersonal relationships and communication. Moreover, it is precisely in this context that attention must be paid to an appropriate workload. Under inadequate framework conditions, working in a home office can have negative effects on mental health.

Set an individual agreement

The new forms of work do not call into question the principle of health protection, as this forms the basis of the ArG. The legal framework in Switzerland gives employers a great deal of leeway in organizing work in the home office. The social partners as well as employee representatives can also be involved. For example, a clear separation between work and private life, a daily schedule with fixed working hours, regular changes to the work position, maintaining contact with work colleagues and logging off outside working hours have proven to be effective. Seco recommends that these various points be recorded in an individual agreement signed by the employer and the employee. These different measures can contribute to favorable health conditions. Both employers and employees benefit when home office is possible under good conditions.

New Seco brochure: Home office health protection - also when working at home