Your rights when working from home in the UK: requesting flexible working from day one, your employer's health and safety duties, equipment and costs, tax relief, monitoring and data protection, plus practical tips for staying productive and well.
Many UK employees now work from home some or all of the time. Whether you're asking to work remotely or already do, it helps to know what the law says and how to make it work day to day. This is general information for England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland has some different rules.
Asking to work from home
Employees have the right to request flexible working, including working from home, from their first day in a job. This has applied since 6 April 2024. You can make up to two requests in any 12-month period. Your employer must:
- deal with the request reasonably;
- consult you before refusing it;
- give a decision within two months, including any appeal, unless you agree a longer period;
- only refuse for one or more of the business reasons set out in law, such as extra costs, an inability to reorganise work, or a negative effect on quality or performance.
It's a right to ask, not a right to have. Make your request in writing, explain how it would work, and suggest a trial period.
Is home working in your contract?
If your contract names your office as your place of work, home working may be an informal arrangement or a formal change. Ask for any agreed change in writing. If your employer wants to end an agreed arrangement, they generally need to follow a fair process, and a contractual right can't usually be removed without your agreement.
Health and safety at home
Your employer's health and safety duties apply when you work from home. They should:
- assess the risks of home working, including stress and lone working;
- carry out a display screen equipment (DSE) assessment if you use a computer for long periods, which you can often complete yourself;
- provide suitable equipment or advice where needed, such as a chair, screen, keyboard or laptop stand;
- keep in touch and support your mental health.
If you use screens daily for an hour or more at a time, you may be entitled to an eye test paid for by your employer.
Equipment and costs
Employers usually provide work equipment such as a laptop. There's no general legal duty to pay your household bills, but some employers contribute. Your employer can pay you up to £6 a week tax-free to cover extra household costs without needing receipts.
If your employer doesn't pay this, you can't claim tax relief from HMRC instead for 2026/27 onwards: from 6 April 2026, employees can no longer claim relief for unreimbursed home working costs, including the old £6-a-week flat rate. You can still claim for earlier tax years, going back four years, if you were required to work from home.
Monitoring and data protection
Employers can monitor work devices and systems, but under UK data protection law it must be necessary, proportionate and transparent. They should tell you what monitoring happens and why. Covert monitoring is only justified in exceptional circumstances. Keep work and personal use separate, and follow your employer's data security rules, such as locking screens and using a VPN where required.
Your home and insurance
Tell your home insurer if you work from home. Most policies allow ordinary office work, but check cover for work equipment and visitors. Renters and leaseholders should check their agreement, though occasional office-type work is rarely an issue.
Practical tips
- Set up a proper workspace: screen at eye level, feet flat, and a chair that supports your back.
- Keep regular hours and a clear end to the day.
- Take breaks away from the screen, and get outside daily.
- Stay connected: regular catch-ups with your manager and team help avoid isolation.
- Agree expectations on availability and response times.
- Look after your wellbeing: speak to your manager if you're struggling, and use any employee assistance programme.
Frequently asked questions
Can my employer make me return to the office?
It depends on your contract and any agreed arrangements. Get advice from Acas if you're unsure.
Am I entitled to pay for broadband?
Not by law, unless your contract or employer's policy says so.
Sources and further reading
- Acas: Flexible working
- GOV.UK: Claim tax relief for your job expenses (working from home)
- HSE: Working from home
- ICO: Employment practices and data protection: monitoring workers
Facts checked on 20 October 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.