Occupational health for estate agents: workload and lone working

Occupational health for estate agents should reflect a working day that moves between the office, travel and property visits. A return plan that only considers desk work may miss the demands of viewings or inspections. Start with the actual diary and agree what needs to change.

Describe the working day accurately

List office tasks, travel, visits, opening and closing duties and work undertaken alone. Ask the employee where difficulties arise. Include changes in workload and hours rather than assuming that every week follows the same pattern.

If occupational health advice is needed, provide a concise role description and focused questions about the work. Agree the referral process with the employee and explain how recommendations will be considered. A clinician can advise on health and work; the employer must still organise suitable arrangements.

Review lone visits as a workplace risk

HSE says employers must manage the risks before people work alone. Consider the visit arrangements, supervision, contact process and response if something goes wrong. Individual health advice may be relevant, but it does not replace a lone-working risk assessment.

Check that the branch’s process works in practice. Who knows where the person is expected to be? Who responds to a missed contact? What happens when a viewing is moved late in the day? Assign those responsibilities clearly and test the process through ordinary management checks.

Look at workload as well as resilience

HSE’s stress guidance encourages assessment and action on work-related risks. For a branch, useful questions include whether appointments fit the available time, whether priorities are clear and whether colleagues can get support when demands conflict.

Review the diary with the team and identify recurring pressure points. A practical action might be to clarify which manager can move a deadline or reallocate a visit. Track whether that decision improves the work arrangement. A wellbeing message alone will not resolve an unmanageable schedule.

Agree a return plan that covers visits and travel

Discuss which duties are suitable, what support is needed and when the arrangement will be reviewed. If a temporary adjustment affects the diary, confirm who will apply it before bookings are made. Do not leave the returning employee to renegotiate the plan with every colleague.

For example, the branch manager could check the first week’s appointments against the agreed arrangement and hold a private follow-up after the initial shifts. This is an illustrative management approach, not a clinical recommendation.

Branch manager checklist

• Describe office work, travel and visits.
• Review lone-working arrangements and escalation contacts.
• Check workload and conflicting priorities.
• Obtain appropriate individual advice where needed.
• Apply agreed adjustments before allocating appointments.
• Review with the employee and record the next action.

Keep shared diaries free of medical detail

A diary may need to show availability or an agreed appointment limit. It should not become a place to record diagnoses or clinical correspondence. Keep sensitive information appropriately restricted and explain operational changes only to those who need to implement them.

Use software for relevant action owners, review dates and follow-up. Check that the information is necessary and access is appropriate. The aim is a workable plan that colleagues can follow while preserving the employee’s privacy.

Practical support for your real estate team

Explore our real estate sector support, connecting occupational health, HR, health and safety and employee management software. We can discuss the appropriate assessment, referral and management follow-up for your circumstances.

Our team supports employers in Chester, Manchester and the North West, North Wales and other service areas. See our published case studies for examples of wider workplace support.

Sources and scope

Guidance for employers in Great Britain. Consult HSE lone-working guidance and HSE work-related stress risk assessment guidance. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have separate legal frameworks.