Page 9 - Waterford Area Partnership CLG COVID-19 RESPONSE PLAN

Procedures for Working from Home during Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic

1. Purpose

To define Waterford Area Partnership’s procedures for working from home during the COVID-19
pandemic.

2. Definitions

For the purpose of this procedure, working from home will mean carrying out the day to day
functions associated with your role, or other tasks as assigned by your Line Manager
3. Scope

The Public Health Management of COVID-19 currently requires that Waterford Area Partnership
staff should work from home where possible, with effect from March 2020. These restrictions
remain in place and will be subject to ongoing review. This was mandated by Public Health advice
and government restrictions, and working from home is temporary which may be ceased by the
Waterford Area Partnership in due course, However Government guidelines state to ‘Continue to
maintain remote working for all workers / businesses that can do so’

Due to the fast changing and dynamic nature of the public health mandate, and in order to maintain
business continuity and certainty, Waterford Area Partnership has decided to extend the working
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from home accommodation to staff up to 4 January 2021. In this regard Waterford Area
Partnership will accommodate, as far as is reasonably practicable, all staff to carry out their work
from their home base. Waterford Area Partnership will also accommodate, as far as is reasonably
practicable, any employee’s request to return to his or her workplace, but this will only be done in
line with public health advice in relation to maintaining social distancing and sanitation etc. in the
employees workspace.
4. Contractual Elements and Company Policies

In these circumstances, working from home is not a change in contractual terms. Employees
currently working from home are required to adhere to the terms and conditions of their
employment, including Waterford Area Partnership’s Policies.

5. Data Security and GDPR
Staff must ensure that data is processed securely, and measures should be taken to ensure that no
unauthorised person can access such information. To ensure this, staff should at all time keep a
record of data/files being taken off site and should take all reasonable steps to maintain data
integrity whilst data is in their possession.

6. Health and Safety

6.1 Self-Risk Assessment
Employees are under a legal obligation to co-operate with the employer so far as is necessary to
enable compliance with the relevant statutory provisions and company policies. It is important to
reiterate that this applies despite the informal surroundings such as a person's home. This includes
an obligation to take reasonable care to protect their own safety. This includes following the advice
of their GP, health care providers and the HSE as appropriate.