Published: March 17th, 2026
Employers across the region are being urged to review how they manage the health and safety of staff who work from home or in hybrid roles.
The call – from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – comes as new figures show more than one third of employees across the country now work from home at least some of the time.
The HSE is reminding businesses that their legal responsibilities apply equally to employees working remotely as they do to those based on-site.
It says employers must ensure they are assessing risks properly and supporting staff wherever they work.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in January 2026, 38% of workers in Great Britain were working remotely or in a hybrid pattern, with 25% splitting their time between the office and home and 13% now working from home full time.
The HSE says employers should focus on three priority areas:
- Stress and mental health – maintaining regular contact, monitoring workloads and ensuring staff are not working beyond normal hours.
- Display screen equipment (DSE) – checking that equipment is safe, suitable and used correctly.
- The home working environment – ensuring staff can identify hazards, avoid slips and trips and know what to do in an emergency.
Barbara Hockey, from HSE’s Engagement and Policy Division, said that while home working brought benefits for both employers and employees it was essential that organisations understood their duties.
“The good news for bosses is you don’t need to physically visit someone’s home to fulfil your duties, most of the time, the risks are low and the steps to manage them are straightforward, and HSE provides free guidance to support you.”
Free, practical guidance to help businesses of all sizes carry out home‑working risk assessments is available at hse.gov.uk.
