When the UK went into lockdown in March 2020 and many employees were forced to work from home no-one could foresee just how long people would be away from the office. Many employers were caught off guard and have not made any changes to their worker’s employment contracts to ensure the security of their data. This puts them at risk of potentially breaching data protection laws. It is obviously much easier to monitor and comply with privacy policies and data protection laws in the workplace, but this becomes considerably more difficult once your staff are at home in various locations. Issues such as who has access to the employer’s computer, password and how data, paper and electronic files are moving between home and office need to be assessed. Health and safety measures also need to be considered including mental health issues arising from working in isolation.
This provides summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. Where employment tribunal and appellate court cases are reported, the information does not set out all of the facts, the legal arguments presented and the judgments made in every aspect of the case. Employment law is subject to constant change either by statute or by interpretation by the courts. While every care has been taken in compiling this information, we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Specialist legal advice must be taken on any legal issues that may arise before embarking upon any formal course of action.
