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The home workstation

The normal duties and obligations of the employer and the employee still apply even when employees work remotely. This means that the employer must ensure – and the employee must contribute to ensuring – that working conditions are healthy and safe, because national work environment legislation applies whenever an employee performs work for an employer, regardless of place of work.
Read about scope, guidelines and requirements here.

In connection with remote work, the employee’s contribution to ensuring the quality of the work environment is particularly important because the employer does not have the right to inspect working conditions in the employee’s home. In dialogue with the employee, the employer (perhaps with the assistance of the work environment group) must ensure that the employee’s remote work is planned and organised so as to ensure safe and healthy working conditions.

In relation to home workstations, working in front of a computer is a particular focus of concern, as this is the most common form of remote work. 

The work environment legislation’s special requirements for computer workstations apply whenever:

  • all of the employee’s working hours take place at home in front of a computer, or
  • the employee works at home in front of a computer regularly and more than two days a week on average over the course of a single month, or
  • the employee works in front of a computer regularly both at home and on site, and the total amount of work in front of a computer amounts to more than two days per week on average over the course of a single month. However, the requirements do not apply if they employee has a computer workstation that is used at a fixed location or at various locations that complies with the special requirements for computer workstations.

If the employee works from home to a lesser extent, the occupational health and safety legislation does not set out requirements regarding the layout/design of the home workstation pursuant to the ministerial order on computer work stations.

Conditions and costs in connection with home workstations

If the employee works in front of a computer at home to such an extent that conditions are governed by the computer workstation ministerial order, cf. above, the following rules apply:

  • There must be sufficient room to allow the employee to use ergonomically correct working postures and movements.
  • The normal rules apply with regard to desks, desk chairs, monitors, programs, lighting etc (see below).
  • The employee is entitled to have their vision and eyes examined and is entitled to screen glasses if an examination shows that screen glasses are needed.
  • The employer must ensure that work involving sitting in front of a computer is organised in a way that provides regular breaks in which the employee can perform other tasks or take a break.
  • The work environment regulations applicable to the psychological work environment also apply to remote working.

As a rule, the employer bears any costs related to the required furnishings and equipment for the home workstation and for transporting the equipment to the employee’s home. The employee may already posses the equipment and furnishings necessary for the performance of remote work in a safe and healthy manner. However, it may be necessary for the employer to supplement the employee’s equipment and furnishings.

If the employee does not work remotely to the extent that their working conditions are governed by the special rules regarding working in front of a computer, and the employee wishes to work from home, the employer may require as a condition for remote work that the employee already has the required furnishings and equipment at home or that the employee transports the required furnishings and equipment to and from the permanent workstation.

Local agreements

In connection with the establishment of home workstations, it must be agreed locally in the local occupational health and safety committees how to establish a home workstation in the best possible way. At the same time, it must also be agreed how the home workstations should be included in the unit’s occupational health and safety initiatives in the future.

Subsequently, the agreement should be regularly taken up for review and evaluation.

Managers need to be aware of:

When you as an employer plan and organize remote working, you should focus on the following issues:

  • Are there clear guidelines and expectations regarding remote working?
  • Has LAMU been involved in deciding on the guidelines for the home workstation?
  • Is the employee receiving the necessary support in their work from their management and colleagues?
  • Does the employee have access to the appropriate furnishings and equipment needed to perform their work in a healthy and safe manner?
  • Is the work of a character that lends itself to remote work, or would it be more appropriate that the employee perform the work at their permanent workstation on site/at the office?

Read more here (all in Danish):

The Danish Working Environment Authority’s guidance on working from home

The Danish Working Environment Authority’s guidance on the design and furnishing of the workstation

The Danish Working Environment Authority’s guidance on working in front of a computer

Remote working at state-sector workplaces (in Danish)

Work environment association guidance on working in front of a computer

Revised 21.07.2023
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