Survey spotlights homeworking health and safety

New research by journalists’ union the NUJ highlights health and safety problems for those working at home without a dedicated working space. It found that while many people have a lot to gain from moving to greater remote working, unless the terms and conditions are right, many also have a lot to lose.

A national survey of nearly 1,000 publishing professionals by the NUJ Oxford branch, Oxford Publishing Society, and the Oxford branch of the Society of Young Publishers found that people with a dedicated home working space were less or not stressed, while those with little or no home workspace were more or most stressed. It found that younger, early and mid-level career employees, who are less likely to have a dedicated home working space, were hit hardest. Those sharing flats or houses were often struggling with difficult conditions such as poor internet access, lack of quiet workspace, and suitable equipment.

“The cramped and unsafe conditions that many people have been forced to work from during lockdown, the cold some had to endure because they could not afford to keep the heating on, have no place in any new normal,” said Oxford and district NUJ branch chair Lynn Degele. “Companies have a duty of care to their staff’s health, and a duty to ensure changes do not unfairly impact on protected groups. We need urgently to develop and argue for model agreements that codify best practice. ”

https://oxfordnuj.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/beyond-lockdown-report.pdf