Help! work are coming to assess my home working arrangements...

[MrsMcJnr]

My work agreed at the end of August to let me work from home 2 days a week and it has been a god send as I can get up at 8 instead of 6 and avoid commuting they now want to come and do an assessment (which I know is for insurance purposes) and I am nervous - can anyone in the know advise me what they will be checking so I can make sure my desk etc will be approved! thanks so much!

Thank you. I actually sit on a dining room chair as I find I am more confy than when I am at work. Should I borrow a proper desk chair from my neighbours do you think?

soory mrs mc no idea really would think it's just to check chair, desk, lighting computer etc. Is it a pg check or just a general working from home one ?

They will be coming because, legally, they have to do a risk assessment on the working conditions of pregnant women. They will therefore be looking at all the desk stuff (if a dining chair is more comfortable, don't change it, but explain the specific reason you are using it).

They will also want to look for other hazards to your health - e.g. are there trailing flexs from lights, etc across the floor? Do you have to reach at awkward angles to get files from a shelf?

Hope that helps.

MrsMcJnr - I tink everyone's right about what they'll check. Your work sound very considerate doing this! Who will come round your house though? I'd hate it if my HR lady came round - i'd have to hoover

rofl at hoovering for HR lady.

There is no need, she will have seen much worse....

Make sure mn is not visible anywhere on your pc?

Ah yes, good thinking batman

( foolishly replied to this on the antenatal thread, but copying here...)

MrsMc,in theory, the assessment checks all the obvious stuff like screen height, keyboard height etc. As far as I know, your employers are obliged to provide you with the correct kit for home working if they have approved you doing it - in other words, they should give you (or provide budget for) a decent chair, light and anything else the assessment says you need. Otherwise if you end up doing damage to your back when working from home for them, they may be liable for damages. Might be worth having a chat with whoever is doing the assessment (sometimes contracted 3rd parties), as they make the recommendations back to the office..

easy access to chocolate

Thanks ladies if anyone knows where to find specific guidelines on screen height etc, anything that would tick the boxes, that would be great. Maybe I should buy some choccy biccies....!

You are not being tested though, they are there to advise and support you, in the same way they would in your workplace. You can't pass or fail! If you need any kit, they should pay for it.

The HSE website will have a lot of info on this kind of thing - display screen equipment regulations etc

Thanks Beansprout but unfortunatley this HR manager has it in for me already and I think she is trying to make my life difficult by saying my home working arrangements are not suitable and that I have to work full time in the office hence the desire for it all to be ok! She complained to my manager about me 3 weeks ago saying that I appeared "unable to go to anything" because I missed a coffee session with new starts for my 20 week scan. My manager pointed out my rights to her and requested that she watch her behaviour but she's a mean old cow basically.

Sorry MrsMcJnr, I had assumed that their agreeing to this arrangement meant that they were being supportive. Sorry to hear this is not the case. Shame on them, it is a perfectly reasonable request.

There's a link here to the hse VDU assessment leaflet - should give you the information you need.

If your company are being difficult I would borrow an office chair. Someone said earlier that the company have to provide you with the equipment, but they can get out of having to do this by either saying you can't work from home or (as HSE do - I work for them!) saying you're working AT home and are not HOMEBASED.

Beansprout you weren't to know hon

Thanks Hanaflower - that's fab, think all would pass apart from the chair but my dining room chair is so much more comfy than a proper desk chair

Hi MRs

Only just seen this - when are they coming over?

I've got some working from home guidelines, but they are on my work computer. I could fire it up tonight and e-mail them to you so you can at least see what my company states is necessary - obviously not the same company, but it is a big global company, so should be getting things right!!! When i was pg with DD, they let me work from home, but as we were moving so far away from head office, noone actually even came to check my working environment out - but they did say they should have done!.

As long as they are not coming around today, once DD is asleep I'll get them for you.

take care
xxx

ooh - lots of people crossed with me!! - looks like you've got lots of advice now. Happily still do it if you want - just let me know.

xxx

Thanks hon, think Hanaflower's policy has helped thank you all!