There are various actions you can take as an OHS professional to guarantee that your workers can safely work from home and remain productive and valued members of your organization.
To manage personnel securely working from home, OHS experts should collaborate closely with leaders, managers, and supervisors, as well as explore partnering with human resources, information management, procurement, finance, and facilities management professionals.
Working from home has been forced upon many people at a time when they are also worried about infection and job stability, as well as being cut off from their family, social, and community support networks.
Because of this unpredictability, working from home employees’ psychological health should be supported by a comprehensive approach that includes access to EAPs, helplines, and online training and support.
When it comes to safety, governance, and mental health training and assistance, Tap into Safety can help through online and mobile-friendly training. Over 100 courses on high-risk activities, leadership, governance, and essential mental health themes are available through the Platform’s extensive library of interactive, out-of-the-box training, which is backed up by strong analysis reporting.
Communication, diversity, and respect
It is critical to promote recognition and appreciation of the workforce’s diversity. Every person is different, and they all have various demands and obstacles when working from home safely.
While standard organizational approaches to working from home arrangements may be important, managers should aggressively seek out specific cases with varying needs. The OHS professional is critical in assisting managers and supervisors in taking into account individual personal circumstances, personality, and physical and mental health.
Working from home is not for everyone; some people thrive in this environment, while others find it restrictive and confining.
Attempt to foster trust, which is a critical component of the interaction between the organization, supervisors, and remote employees. The greater the trust and concern that organizations and managers have for their people, the more responsible and accountable they become.
Managers may need to let go of their “command and control” mentality and adopt a more enabling management and communication approach. Mentoring is one way that OHS professionals may assist.
Working from home arrangements that are both productive and psychologically beneficial require effective communication. Set up procedures to encourage all employees to provide feedback so that management and OHS professionals are aware of the issues that workers face when working from home securely.
Make use of risk management principles
The same risk management techniques that you use in the office should be used to manage the health and safety of your employees who work from home. However, you must emphasize the need to evaluate the risk context in its broadest definition, which includes not just the work itself, but also the home, community, and societal context in which it occurs. It would also help if you encouraged your employees to take ownership of the risk-control procedures.
When a workplace is also a person’s home, there should be some flexibility to allow them to have a role in how and when work is completed, how work and home activities are separated, and their working hours.
To provide employees with ownership of the job and risk controls, OHS professionals must actively participate in the design of work for securely working from home. It would be preferable if you addressed working hours and routines, the actual working environment, responsibilities and decision-making, information flow, and task interdependence.
Some OHS professionals may be unfamiliar with advising on health and safety for employees who work from home. When giving guidance, it is critical that OHS experts adhere to their professional principles of evidence-based ethical practice. Professionals in the field of occupational safety and health must also be able to empower others. Supervisors and managers, for example, will have to be more self-sufficient and rely less on OHS professionals to manage day-to-day risks.
Conclusion
The study looks at the role of the OHS professional in ensuring that employees working from home are safe. Communication, trust, physical health, psychological health, job design, and risk management were recognized as six essential factors.
When it comes to managing personnel securely working from home, OHS specialists can serve as mentors to managers and supervisors who are accustomed to working face-to-face with their staff.
In order to do so, they must be adaptable and have open communication methods, as well as be willing to change rules and practices. A crucial guide to the best way to handle what could be a long-term working arrangement is to draw on trusted risk management concepts.