teleworking
TELEWORKING Definition Telework is much an idea as an activity; as much a means to an end as an end in itself. Telework, in short, means many different things to different people and arguments can soon develop as to whether or not a person who works away from a central office is actually teleworking. ... That teleworking is a way of working, rather than a job itself, is not in dispute. ... But disagreements still exist as to exactly what is teleworking. For the purposes of this report, therefore, a precise definition of teleworking will be side-stepped. This report will assume that teleworking is any work-based activity that contains the elements discussed above. That is, working relationships that contain components of: By understanding teleworking in these terms, it is possible to conceive of a variety of different working structures and relationships that will fall within the term. ... TYPES OF TELEWORKING By declining to define teleworking in any strict fashion, a range of activities can be considered that fall within the confines of the components described above. ... Solitary Teleworking Solitary Teleworking is not new and is often considered to be the archetypal expression of teleworking itself. ... With fixed location solitary teleworking the individual works from a single location - often at home. With mobile solitary teleworking, on the other hand, the individual will travel between different locations, using mobile and other kinds of communication systems to communicate with the central office. Group Teleworking Group-based teleworking differs from solitary teleworking insofar as a group of people work remotely from the centre. ... In terms of the organisational structure, and the teleworkers understanding of the organisation and the work, this kind of teleworking can be further divided into three kinds: Tele-relocation in which a part of the central organisation is relocated as a group that then operates in some kind of satellite office. ... Flexible Teleworking Flexible Teleworking can be considered to be an amalgamation of the above two kinds of teleworking. ... With flexible teleworking, the very nature of work and organisations can be questioned. REASONS FOR TELEWORKING Different parts of an organisation, even different kinds of organisation, are likely to have different reasons for adopting a teleworking framework. In essence two kinds of reasons can be seen as to why an organisation may wish to consider teleworking, and these often relate to whether the organisation is a private company or a public sector system. Teleworking offers undoubted opportunities for improved work output, productivity and effectiveness. ... Teleworking and Disability Introduction In the European Community there are today some 60-80 million people with physical ,sensory or cognitive impairments.