People who are not present.
WHY THEY NEED PARTICULAR ATTENTION
Difficulty is invisible when nobody sees the person.
WHO THIS COVERS
Remote and home-based workers Field and site staff Drivers Anyone working alone
WHAT THE RISKS ARE
Isolation Overwork, without visible boundaries Poor working conditions at home Exclusion from information and decisions Safety when alone
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT CONTACT
Regular, scheduled, including about matters other than tasks.
WHY NOT ONLY TASKS
Contact only about work provides no opportunity to raise difficulty.
WHAT TO ASK
How things are, genuinely.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT INFORMATION
That remote people receive what office-based people receive.
WHY
Exclusion is usually accidental and it is felt strongly.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT HOURS
When they are working, and when they are not.
WHY
Remote work without boundaries expands.
WHAT TO PROVIDE
Equipment adequate for sustained work.
WHY
Home setups are frequently unsuitable.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT LONE WORKERS
Check-in arrangements What happens if they do not respond A means of raising an alarm
WHAT TO ESTABLISH FOR DRIVERS
Limits on hours Rest arrangements That schedules do not require unsafe driving
WHY
Schedules that can only be met by exceeding safe limits are the cause of the risk.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH FOR FIELD STAFF
Safety when visiting unfamiliar places Permission to withdraw Somewhere to rest and eat
WHAT TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER FOR
Occasional contact in person.
WHY
Relationships formed in person sustain remote working.
