Introduction

This document provides an introduction to teleworking for those unfamiliar with the topic. All the words that have an important meaning in the project are highlighted by the use of italics. These words are defined within the text.

Teleworking encapsulates a whole range of work activities, all of which entail working remotely from an employer, or normally expected place of work, on either a full-time or a part-time basis. The work generally involves the electronic processing of information, the results of which are communicated remotely to the employer, usually by a telecommunications link.

The next portion of this paper deals with the growth in work activities that can be classed as teleworking, highlighting the characteristic technology , location and organization of the work.

Many informal activities have always been undertaken in the home, the work of housewives being the most important area. Also, a certain amount of generally low-skilled formal employment in the home has continued. People involved in this type of work are referred to as traditional homeworkers. There are also a number of professional jobs that have traditionally been carried out in the home, including writing and illustrating.

The advances in computer technology since the early sixties have led to the rise of new homeworkers. These are, typically, computing professionals, such as systems analysts and programmers, who work at home. The convergence of computer technology and communications technology over the past three decades to form information technology has made it possible to decentralize many types of work involving the electronic processing of information.

Remote areas of Britain are now seeing the development of teleservice centers (informally known as telecottages). The idea of these rural work centers comes originally from Sweden, where they have been developed as community assets to overcome the problems of rural isolation. The basic aim of a teleservice center is to provide access to computer and telecommunications equipment. British Telecom is supporting the development of such centers in Derbyshire and the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

Not all jobs are suitable for teleworking. Those that depend on personal ‘face-to-face’ contact or that require ‘hands-on’ operation cannot be done by a teleworker. This includes jobs such as receptionist, counter clerk and makers of goods that require complex machinery to produce.

Jobs suitable for teleworking are mostly those that are primarily concerned with the handling, processing, transforming and dissemination of information. The number of people employed in this type of information intensive jobs is growing significantly as a proportion of the workforce.

Information intensive functions can be broadly split into two types: high-level and clerical. High-level information intensive individuals are professional people who process information as a major part of their job. Examples include system analysts, accountants and specialist consultants. Clerical information operatives process information in a very simple way. Tasks include input and manipulation of information (e.g. processing forms). Desk top computers and reliable data communications services have allowed the development of this type of work.

The future of teleworking will be dependent on two sets of forces: economic and social. Economic forces are the result of technical development that does not only make teleworking possible, but also in certain circumstances makes it an economic benefit to employers and the country at large.

Social forces are the result of changes in employee’s lifestyles and aspirations coupled with other changes in society. Changes in the age profile of the population will cause demand for skilled workers to exceed supply. Many people unable to work in a traditional way (e.g. physically challenged people) will be able to take up jobs for the first time because of teleworking. This will help to overcome the skills shortage.

The chief advantage to employees is that less time, money, and effort are spent on traveling to and from the workplace. For city-based workers who commute daily, this represents a major saving. Related to this is the wider choice of areas to live in once the constraint of travel is removed.

The flexibility that teleworking will give over hours of work will be a great advantage to parents with young children. It will also attract those who care for elderly or disabled relatives. Retired people may also use teleworking as a way of working part-time.

The employer can benefit from teleworking in three main ways: increased productivity, reduced costs and a wider pool of potential employees. Since people are generally happier in their jobs, it is easier for the employer to attract and to retain employees.

Teleworking could give rise to a number of unwelcome complications for the employee and the employer. The impact of these has yet to be assessed but there will obviously be a trade-off between the advantages and the disadvantages of teleworking.

A major concern for any employee is the possibility of having a low profile as a teleworker within an organization. Since a teleworker is not physically present in the employing organization, he or she may not be seen as an equal to the on-site employees. The consequences of this could be lack of promotion opportunities.

Some teleworkers may miss the interaction of the workplace. The daily interaction with other people is a major reason for many in going out to work. If the interaction is removed, the job may no longer seem worthwhile.

There are many financial costs associated with teleworking. These may well increase the cost of living for the teleworker, although they must be balanced against the savings that were highlighted in Section 5.

11.2. Scan the report. Which section talks about:

a. jobs for people caring for other people?

b. central services in rural areas?

c. status in the workplace?

d. demographic trends?

e. low turnover of staff?

f. job satisfaction?

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