Homeworkers should be given the same rights as other employees and companies with commercial insurance that provide employee benefits to all their staff will be rewarded with loyalty and dedication, it has been claimed.

The National Group on Homeworking (NGH) said that homeworkers should be covered by employment insurance as best practice, including commercial vehicle insurance, given the same rights as they would be if they were if working in the office.

Nesta Holden, a spokesperson for the NGH, said that it is often difficult for homeworkers to get the same rights as employees because they are treated as self-employed or freelance workers.

"Our view is that homeworkers should be treated as employees and have the same rights as they have onsite," he said. "We certainly encourage employers to do that and they certainly do, although, we can't just rely on the best practice of a few employers.

"Employees expect things like holiday pay, sick pay, maternity pay, cover for redundancy and all those kinds of things. There are benefits to any business if you treat your staff right and give them the rights that they are entitled to."

According to homebusiness.org.uk, 34 per cent of all homeworkers are employed by a company, while 64 per cent are self-employed.

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