Teleworking
Teleworking solutions provide employees with access to the corporate voice and data network from home or on the road, seamlessly retaining all of the features and functionality enjoyed at the office.
Teleworking is a growing trend in today's business. Research shows that teleworking can save a company in reduced absenteeism and job turnover, office space and operating costs, as well as in commuting time. According to the Gartner Group, back in 2004 there were an estimated 137 million teleworkers worldwide. And with strong growth, it is forecast that this figure has increased by 20 to 25 per cent a year since then.
Teleworker solutions address the needs of this growing market. They offer a simple, scalable and secure solution for remote and home-based employees. Data connections are typically made via a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) over a Broadband connection, or ISDN, and applications are accessed as if the teleworker was in the office. To add voice to a teleworker solution is as easy as taking home a phone and plugging it in! The teleworker then becomes an extension off of the office PBX with all the same features.
The simplicity, scalability and security of a teleworker solution makes it ideal for a wide variety of users, including:
- Remote or home-based employees who require seamless access to the corporate voice and data network
- Business owners and managers who want the flexibility to work remotely with full access to email, internet access, voice mail, conferencing and other features of the office data network or phone system
- Day-extenders - employees who regularly take work home with them or whose jobs require that they be accessible outside regular business hours
- Employees who are required to work from home temporarily because of illness, parental responsibilities, etc.
- Companies wishing to reduce office space expenses, take advantage of lower labour costs in an alternate location and/or improve employee satisfaction
- Companies wishing to reduce long-distance charges to and from remote branch offices and telecommuting employees
The advantages to teleworkers themselves include avoiding traveling to work every day. People can live where they choose, without the worry of having to move towns and break up social and family networks in order to find suitable employment. It allows people with disabilities or care responsibilities to work when they would otherwise be unable to. Where teleworking is combined with the freedom to choose ones own work schedule it has the additional advantage that work can be fitted around other activities. Teleworkers can find it useful to spend some time at a central base. This is useful for getting to know colleagues and feeling involved. It also provides an opportunity to make informal suggestions and bounce ideas off people.
Potential problems teleworkers experience can include not having the appropriate facilities available to allow the work to be done. There is also the risk that isolated employees may be exploited in an environment where they can't easily get support from co-workers or unions. Self employed teleworkers are obviously much more vulnerable than those who are employees. A code of practice for companies using teleworkers has been suggested.
Teleworking does not suit everyone. Teleworkers have to be able to motivate themselves to work without supervision. It is necessary to have space available at home to set up computers and other equipment. Also, anyone working at home may need to have some ability to deal with equipment faults without the back up which would be available in an office.
Teleworking has the potential to help solve a lot of problems such as traffic congestion and pollution, as well as allowing employers and employees to benefit in various different ways. As always, there are drawbacks as well as advantages which need to be evaluated according to personal circumstance. However, one thing is clear, teleworking is on the increase and will inevitably change our lives, including the way we work and where we work from.