1. Art and Diseño

Es
Telework for life-work reconciliation in EU:
promoting women participation and mobility
Guía/manual sobre cómo
implementar políticas
de flexibilidad laboral
en la empresa
2011-1-ES1-LEO05-36491
This project has been founded with support form the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission
cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information
contained therein.
www.women-in.eu
Teletrabajo para la conciliación de la vida laboral y personal en la UE. Promoviendo la
participación y la movilidad laboral de la mujer
GUÍA/MANUAL SOBRE CÓMO IMPLEMENTAR POLÍTICAS
DE FLEXIBILIDAD LABORAL EN LA EMPRESA
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Teletrabajo para la conciliación de la vida laboral y personal en la UE. Promoviendo la
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INTRODUCCIÓN
A finales del siglo 20, la tecnología revolucionó el lugar de trabajo y en lo que va de
siglo 21 se aprecia una evolución aún mayor. Ordenadores portátiles, smartphones,
tablets, agendas electrónicas y otras innovaciones han hecho que el trabajo sea cada
vez más independiente de una ubicación física concreta.
Durante los últimos años, el teletrabajo utilizando medios que permiten la
comunicación a distancia en tiempo real (teléfono e Internet sobre todo) han ido
ganando una gran aceptación. Un creciente número de empresas usa estos medios
para aumentar la productividad de sus trabajadores y disminuir costes. Los resultados
indican que todas las empresas modernas deberían al menos considerar aplicar
medidas de fomento del teletrabajo siempre y cuando sea posible.
En la actualidad, los teletrabajadores europeos suponen aún un porcentaje muy bajo
respecto al total de trabajadores pero se espera que de la crisis económica surja un
nuevo impulso a esta forma de trabajo.
El colectivo más interesado en el teletrabajo son las madres trabajadoras. La
participación de la mujer en el mercado de trabajo se ve afectada por su ciclo biológico
y por los estándares y estereotipos sociales que anteponen aún el trabajo doméstico
como su principal función. Muchas de estas mujeres a su vez puede que hayan sido
educadas por madres trabajadoras, muchas además poseen formación superior pero la
combinación de trabajo y maternidad resulta muy complicada emocional y
financieramente. Su alto nivel educativo y su familiaridad con las nuevas tecnologías e
Internet les permiten un más fácil acceso al teletrabajo, lo que facilita a su vez la
combinación de esos dos aspectos de su vida.
Además de teletrabajo, en la literatura específica se han utilizado también otros
términos, como trabajo a distancia, trabajo remoto o trabajo desde casa, cada uno de
ellos con ligeras diferencias de matiz acerca de cómo se realiza el trabajo.
Colectivamente, estos términos describen el teletrabajo como una forma de
flexibilidad laboral que capacita a los trabajadores a acceder a su actividad laboral
desde distintas y remotas ubicaciones a través del uso de tecnologías de la información
y la comunicación. Teletrabajo es, de esta manera, simplemente una forma de cumplir
con el trabajo desde distintas ubicaciones. Puede servir a distintos propósitos (y tener
múltiples beneficios) cuando se implementa con efectividad en una organización.
Los beneficios del teletrabajo son particularmente interesantes en las siguientes áreas:

Reclutamiento y retención de los mejores trabajadores, particularmente
nuevos trabajadores.

Ayuda a los empleados a conciliar más eficientemente su jornada laboral con su
vida personal.
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Teletrabajo para la conciliación de la vida laboral y personal en la UE. Promoviendo la
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
Reduce la congestión del tráfico y las emisiones de CO2, reduciendo la
contaminación y por tanto mejorando el medio ambiente.

Permite a las empresas ahorrar en costes tangibles e intangibles.

Asegura la continuidad del trabajo de las funciones esenciales de las
organizaciones en el caso de emergencias locales o nacionales.
Esta guía o manual pretende ayudar a directores de recursos humanos y empleados a
ser capaces de incorporar el teletrabajo en el funcionamiento habitual de la empresa
así como a implementar políticas de flexibilidad laboral en las organizaciones.
MARCO LEGAL
El artículo 2 del Acuerdo Marco Europeo para el Teletrabajo 2002 (a partir de ahora
Acuerdo Marco Europeo) señala que:
“Teletrabajo es una forma de organizar y/o actuar en el trabajo, usando tecnologías de
información, en el contexto de un contrato o relación laboral donde el trabajo
ejecutado habitualmente en las dependencias del empleador se realiza fuera de esas
dependencias de forma habitual”.
MARCO REGULADOR
El artículo 139 del Tratado de la UE prevé dos opciones para la implementación de los
acuerdos concluidos por los agentes sociales a nivel europeo. Una opción es la
implementación “de acuerdo con los procedimientos y prácticas específicas en el
entorno laboral en los estados miembros”. Esta opción es conocida como ruta
autónoma o acuerdo autónomo.
La segunda opción es solicitar una decisión al Consejo de Ministros. Los agentes
sociales europeos, más concretamente la ETUC, por parte de los sindicatos, y Business
Europe junto a la CEEP y la UEAPME, por parte de la patronal, han concluido tres
acuerdos marco. Estos acuerdos han sido traspuestos en tres directivas: Directiva
sobre baja por maternidad/paternidad (Directiva del Consejo 96/34/EC de 3 junio de
1996), Directiva sobre trabajo a tiempo parcial (Directiva del Consejo 97/81/EC de 15
de diciembre de 1997) y Directiva sobre trabajo a tiempo definido (Directiva del
Consejo 1999/70/EC de 28 de junio de 1999) y ahora son parte integrante del acervo
comunitario.
El Acuerdo Marco Europeo en Teletrabajo ha sido el primer acuerdo europeo de este
tipo, lo que ha resultado en distintas formas de medidas de implementación y no una
en concreto.
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Teletrabajo para la conciliación de la vida laboral y personal en la UE. Promoviendo la
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Teletrabajo: conceptos e implicaciones
Normalmente se dan tres tipos de teletrabajo: trabajo desde el domicilio del
trabajador, oficinas satélite y trabajo basado en movilidad. Trabajo desde el domicilio
se refiere a los empleados que normalmente trabajan en su propio hogar, aunque no
necesariamente (in en realidad no suele ser así) todos los días. Los trabajadores en
domicilio propio que son autoempleados o que no tienen ninguna conexión con un
lugar de trabajo central no son considerados teletrabajadores. En las denominadas
oficinas satélite, los trabajadores trabajan fuera del hogar y también fuera del lugar
habitual de trabajo, en una ubicación que resulta conveniente para el empleado y para
los clientes de su empresa porque se reduce el tiempo de desplazarse de un lugar a
otro. Son en cierto modo filiales cuyo propósito es reducir el tiempo de
desplazamiento al lugar normal de trabajo del empleado. La oficina satélite está
equipada con mobiliario de oficina y equipos proveídos por la empresa, además,
también puede haber apoyo administrativo. Finalmente, en contraste a los
teletrabajadores que trabajan desde una ubicación específica fuera de la oficina
principal, los trabajadores móviles son aquellos que se desplazan frecuentemente
usando las TIC para trabajar desde casa, desde un medio de transporte o desde un
hotel, comunicándose con la empresa cuanto es necesario. Son normalmente
comerciales, directores de marketing o asesores financieros.
De acuerdo a la literatura consultada, los principales beneficios del teletrabajo para las
compañías son los ahorros en espacio para oficina (son necesarias oficinas más
pequeñas con el consiguiente ahorro en costes de alquiler o compra) y el incremento
en la productividad de los empleados. En cuanto a estos últimos, el teletrabajo les
ofrece una mayor flexibilidad laboral y un ahorro en costes de transporte (medible
tanto en tiempo como en términos monetarios). Las principales desventajas o barreras
del teletrabajo son el acceso a las TIC y la integración del teletrabajo en la estrategia
de la compañía y en su estructura organizativa, así como la motivación de los
trabajadores y el control sobre su trabajo.
Las desventajas del teletrabajo tienen implicaciones de género, especialmente el
teletrabajo que se realiza íntegramente en el domicilio del empleado. Los
teletrabajadores corren el riesgo de ser excluidos dentro de la política laboral de la
empresa, por ejemplo en los ascensos de categoría laboral, precisamente por su falta
de visibilidad. El aislamiento social también es algo común a todos los
teletrabajadores, excepto aquellos que combinan el teletrabajo con una presencia
habitual en la oficina. El teletrabajo ha sido a menudo visto como una vía para que las
mujeres combinen el trabajo remunerado con el cuidado de los hijos. Conviene hacer
aquí una distinción entre teletrabajo y trabajo desde el domicilio. Trabajo desde el
domicilio tradicionalmente ha implicado bajas habilidades tecnológicas, bajas
cualificaciones profesionales, bajos salarios y trabajo de escasa importancia y han sido
típicamente las mujeres quienes trabajaban de esta manera. Por otra parte, el
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Teletrabajo para la conciliación de la vida laboral y personal en la UE. Promoviendo la
participación y la movilidad laboral de la mujer
teletrabajo ofrece las mismas ventajas en cuanto a que se desarrolla desde el propio
domicilio del trabajador pero hace referencia a un trabajo de mayor calidad.
El teletrabajo fue en principio considerado como un acto de compromiso hacia la
mujer para facilitarle la conciliación de la vida profesional y personal. Sin embargo,
muchas veces es más una “elección impuesta”, estando además peor remunerado y
ofreciendo un menor prestigio profesional. Además, pocos teletrabajos son
completamente realizados desde el domicilio y, por tanto, puede no ser la solución
para aquéllas mujeres con cargas familiares, como se pensaba al principio.
El trabajo desde el domicilio no rompe los roles de género tradicionales, siendo aún las
mujeres las que aún soportan la mayor proporción de responsabilidad respecto al
cuidado de los hijos. La consecuencia para las mujeres es un agravamiento de su
vulnerabilidad como mujeres y como trabajadora, haciendo mucho más difícil
equilibrar trabajo y familia y perpetuando su rol tradicional en el hogar (Mirchandani,
2000; Gothoskar, 2000). Las mujeres que trabajan desde el hogar tienden a tener un
menor espacio de trabajo y a menudo trabajan en horario intempestivo porque el
trabajo doméstico cobra prioridad. Las teletrabajadoras pueden encontrar difícil
establecer un ambiente en casa que sea adecuado para ejercer su trabajo. Los niños,
especialmente, suelen interrumpir el trabajo de sus madres. Además, el teletrabajo
puede empeorar la productividad de la trabajadora si se espera de ella que
simultáneamente asuma el rol de madre, educando a sus hijos y el de trabajadora,
sacando adelante su trabajo. Esta puede ser parte de la explicación de la baja
incorporación de la mujer al mercado laboral. Otro inconveniente es que el teletrabajo
puede ser también muy restrictivo (sin una jornada fija, descansos, etc.).
En vista de lo mencionado en los párrafos anteriores, algunas de las características
relacionadas con el teletrabajo pueden ser percibidas de forma diferente por los
responsables de recursos humanos dependiendo de si son hombres o mujeres. De cara
a explorar este asunto en mayor profundidad, en la siguiente sección se revisará la
literatura disponible en el campo del teletrabajo, de cara a proponer
recomendaciones.
Common Myths About Telework
The statements below are Myths commonly heard in any organization where telework
is being introduced. These myths are perpetuated by lack of experience or information
about telework and can become barriers to the adoption of telework. The statements
indented below each myth were taken directly from the Arizona State University
evaluation of the State of Arizona Telework Program, and reference what experienced
State employees say about these common myths.
I won't know they're working at home.
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Supervisors discover they are better able to monitor the work by shifting the focus
from how much work the employee looks like he or she is accomplishing to how much
he or she actually is accomplishing. By focusing on the work product instead of the
work activity, many supervisors find they are better able to communicate clear
expectations to their employees. When supervisors and teleworkers agree on job
expectations, it often leads to increases in employee productivity and job satisfaction.
Many supervisors already use this method of management by results.
Mid-level managers and front-line supervisors reported that they felt supervising a
telework employee involved a change in management style from management by
observation of the job being done to management of the results. The participants
routinely reported as positive any changes they made to their management style in
order to more effectively supervise a telework employee.
As reported by senior managers, logs and time sheets and daily or frequent contact
with teleworkers were the most typically used monitoring strategies.
State telework pilots consistently show that, after telework for six months, both
teleworkers and their supervisors believe that telework has increased the teleworker's
productivity. Productivity increases because employees have fewer distractions and
interruptions, work at their personal peak times, and are less stressed due to the
absence of the commute.
The most commonly mentioned benefits of telework by senior managers were
increased work efficiency and productivity, and increased employee morale.
Teleworkers must have a computer to work from home.
Telework is not synonymous with tele-computing. You may only require a telephone
to work from home on a part-time basis. . Many employees find the opportunity to
telework is so worthwhile they choose to use their personal equipment when
equipment is not available from their offices. A computer is not required to telework.
Familiarity with telework was related to one's perception as to the suitability of job
tasks for working from home. Familiarity also appeared to have some relationship to
the perception that computers were necessary in order to telework.
Job requirements such as computers, short notice meetings, and access to reference
material at the job location may be important factors influencing the decision to
telework but were not perceived as significant barriers to telework by State
employees.
I won't get promoted if I telework.
Actually, current research suggests teleworkers are more likely to be promoted than
their non-teleworking coworkers according to a study mentioned in the Advanced
Management Journal, Summer '92. The reason for this may be that teleworkers tend
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to be selected by management because they work well independently and can be
trusted to perform well remote from the office environment.
Teleworkers must work at home five days a week.
Telework allows selected employees to work at home, or a state office location closer
to home, one or more days a week. Jobs are really just a collection of tasks. Some
tasks must be done at the office. Tasks which may be done away from the office are
called teleworkable tasks. The amount of telework an employee may do, depends on
how many teleworkable tasks they have each week and whether the equipment
required to accomplish those tasks is available. Many tasks, such as reading, thinking,
planning or making phone calls, do not require computers and may be saved for a
telework day.
Teleworkers are not available when you need them.
Teleworkers work with their supervisors during training to create an individual
agreement where responsibilities are restructured to maintain work group integrity
and plan how they will maintain communication with the office and what will be done
to meet contingencies. If the teleworker is needed, he or she may be asked to come in
to the office or join an emergency staff meeting by conference call.
Telework is not for everyone, so it's not fair.
Offering the opportunity to work at home is a management option; telework is not a
universal employee benefit. Supervisors may select employees who have right tasks,
abilities and circumstances at home necessary to telework.
Everyone will want to telework.
Most people prefer the normal work week. Everyone does not want or need the same
flexibility in the work place. Flexibility in the workplace is not usually offered as a
universal employee benefit, but at the option of management
A strong majority of non-teleworking respondents answered that they perform at least
one teleworkable job task on a regular basis. Of non-teleworking participants 83
percent indicated that their jobs task were suitable for telework, but 33% were not
willing or didn't have resources at home to enable them to telework.
Equipment will be expensive.
Many employees find the opportunity to telework is so worthwhile they choose to use
their personal equipment when equipment is not available from their offices. Many
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agencies have computers that people can take home. Again, we are not saying a
computer is required to telework. You may only require a telephone.
Teleworkers cause more work for supervisors.
Managers and supervisors felt that there was no difference supervising a teleworker or
a non-teleworker, this was a non-issue. In all six groups supervisors and managers
reported selecting teleworkers based upon their previous good performance. In the
majority of cases, the telework employee had to agree upon tasks to perform while
telework and this performance was monitored closely.
Teleworkers cause more work for coworkers.
Before telework, supervisors and teleworkers go through several training exercises to
help them determine how they will manage their normal office duties without
burdening coworkers.
When surveyed, coworkers repeatedly respond that telework does not impede the
office routine and that the program should be expanded.
Our type of jobs aren't compatible to telework.
Research does not verify that complete businesses or categories of jobs are
incompatible with telework. Jobs are really just a collection of tasks. Some tasks must
be done at the office. Tasks which may be done away from the office are called
teleworkable tasks. The amount of telework an employee may do, depends on how
many teleworkable tasks they have each week and whether the equipment required to
accomplish those tasks is available. Telework is an individual arrangement where
responsibilities are restructured to maintain work group integrity.
Those
arrangements are created by confronting the concerns and working out solutions.
The public would not support State employees working from home.
Contrary to popular belief, the public understands the need for flexibility in the
workplace and is in favor of offering the opportunity to qualified State employees.
Almost seven out of ten of those surveyed responded favorably to a plan that would
allow qualified State employees to work at home one or two days a week instead of
driving to work. The main reason people are favorable to a telework plan is that it
would cut down on pollution and reduce traffic. Another frequently cited reason is that
telework provides the ability to spend more time with family.
Our employees deal with confidential information so they can't telework.
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Teletrabajo para la conciliación de la vida laboral y personal en la UE. Promoviendo la
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Information security is a legitimate concern but telework should not create a
significantly greater concern than is currently the case in the office. During the
training, supervisors and teleworkers will go through several exercises to help them
take a closer look at what it will be like to work apart from the office one or more days
a week. Worksheets help them identify and resolve potential complications before
they become problems.
IMPLIMENTING A SUCCESSFUL TELEWORK PROGRAM
To insure that the implementation of teleworking policies is a success, your telework
program planning should be as all-inclusive as you can afford, and seen to be both
equitable and reactive to feedback. Otherwise, you may have to deal with suspicion,
resentment, anxiety, disillusionment or maybe sabotage in its various forms.
The distribution of work away from the traditional office environment of a physically
and socially close group of people – a sub culture – can have a profound effect on their
lives and on their perceptions of what work is. Managers especially will benefit from
teleworking, because poor managers learn to become much better managers, and
already good managers become even better managers!
Who needs to be involved?
The team should be led by the telework "Champion" in the organization. This is
usually, but not always, the person who helped to establish the Business Case for
telework in the first place. Ideally, this person, if he/she does not have a "C" in his or
her title (CFO, CIO, CTO etc.), should have an open channel of communication with
someone who does have.
The Stakeholders need to cover the following disciplines or activities, even if such a
department doesn’t exist:
 HR – important because: a) they think that their empire is threatened – it isn’t,
it will grow in importance, b) their involvement will be critical in the
establishment and adjustment of policies and procedures. c) they will be
carrying out an indispensable activity – training.
 Employees (Unions, if applicable) – important because: a) Intellectual Capital is
your most valuable asset. b) You don’t have to recruit them, but it would cost
you dearly to have to replace them.
 Finance – important because: a) They won’t believe your numbers unless they
are involved in producing them. b) They can apply the needed activity-based
cost identification systems. c) They are the ultimate repository of all budgets.
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 Facilities/Real Estate – important because: a) They think that their empire is
threatened – it isn’t, it will grow in importance as office space use becomes
more flexible. b) They can bring about the genuine, not notional or projected
savings in RE, which can bring the biggest bottom line benefits.
 IT – important because: a) They can determine the most cost/effective solution
that will provide the connectivity needed to get the job done in terms of
speeds, levels of security and type – synchronous, asynchronous, via a WAN,
VPN, wireless modem and so on. b) They will be a great booster for telework,
as it is their creation.
 Managers – important because: a) They often feel their authority is threatened
by not knowing how to control out of sight staff and therefore that telework
will stop them getting the job done. b) They feel uncomfortable about the
prospect of having to manage by results. 3.) They can make or break a
teleworking program.
 Legal/Risk Management – important because: a) They can identify activities
that might go out of control, regarding issues related to insurance, FSLA, OSHA,
IPR, software licensing, unofficial teleworking etc. b) They will be reviewing the
policy changes and agreements needed to articulate the program.
 External "Clients" – important because: a, b, & c) They justify the organization’s
existence; "No customers, no money…no food."
 Internal "Clients" – important because: a) They may fear that they will have to
carry more workload. b) They could harbor feelings of resentment and jealousy
because they are not having money and attention invested in them. c) They can
make or break a teleworking program.
Assessing Organizational Resources & Deficiencies
When assessing organizational readiness, you should avoid becoming a victim of
"Paralysis by Analysis"! Much of what follows will be intuitive knowledge to smaller
organizations (up to maybe 15-20 employees) because of the daily contact between
almost everyone employed and because nearly total knowledge of the organization’s
assets, strengths and weaknesses will be known in detail by 2 or 5 key decision makers.
However, the larger your organization is, the more impossible it is to be as omniscient
and so a more and more formal assessment will be needed. Your project team must
determine where it reasonably needs to be on the analysis continuum to be able to
have sufficient information to meet senior management’s expectations, and to
manage and control the project without paralyzing it with paperwork!
a. Benchmarking or Auditing your Resources - physical, technological, human,
financial and goodwill.
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Determining what you have is the first step in conducting a "Gap Analysis." Then while
keeping in mind the extent and type of program you ideally need, you can more easily
identify and quantify the new resources needed or those that require reallocation in
order to meet your program’s objectives.
Some organizations, not wanting to invest in what might be regarded as "just a pilot",
will be tempted to choose the least cash cost alternative, which generally translates
into including amongst the first phase only those who already personally own what is
considered the equipment required. Such a policy carries with it the potential of
exposure to issues of unfairness and discrimination. Also, organizations that are
involved in a product or service that is based on value add from Intellectual Property
Rights (IPR), should check with legal council for clarification, because it can be argued
that the ownership of IPR-based products may follow the ownership of the equipment
on which they are produced.
Benchmark/Audit attitudes to identify & assess the intensity of any concerns or fears
both within & outside the organization. Include attitudinal questions that will identify
what training, guidance and support is required to provide the skills, disciplines and
working knowledge of the tools needed to make a program successful. It should be
determined, on a 360° basis, what manager’s and their staff’s attitudes are towards
each others’ business-related abilities or lack of them. Quantify the intensity of
opinions on these issues, say on a scale of 1-10 (rather than simply
satisfactory/unsatisfactory), so that later you will be able to detect small shifts in
opinion and so judge more accurately what’s working, what’s not and what changes
that might be needed to be make to fine tune training and support.
Try to find out what affect adopting a Telework strategy might have on:
Management Issues:
Quality of work
Quantity of work
Productivity
Labor Turnover
Sick Leave
Teamwork
Internal Communications
Corporate Identity
Colleague Stimulation
Security
You must decide what determines "Quality"
You will need to develop metrics for this one.
Ditto
How much might telework reduce recruiting needs &
costs?
How much do the respondents think telework will affect
it?
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
How much do colleagues stimulate good actionable
ideas?
How much might information/data/records be put at
risk?
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Smoking
Loss of Control
Management Style
Loss of "Empire"
Accessibility of Staff
How much time is spent on "Smoke Breaks"?
How big is the "Out of Sight, Out of Control" fear?
Level of comfort with using results oriented management
How big is the fear of losing status if staff is not visible?
How big is the fear of being unable to contact needed
staff?
Delegating Work
Will telework make this easier or more difficult?
Work Information Flow
How much will having remote workers affect workflow?
Work Support
Will telework mean more or less of a workload for nonteleworkers?
Office/Travel Expense
Control What affect will teleworking have on these cost
centers?
Environmental Impact
How much might teleworking help the environment?
Ability of Disabled to Work How much might teleworking help the disabled to work?
Disaster Recovery/Avoidance Extent teleworking will help you avoid/recover from
disasters?
Personal Issues:
Opportunity to be Promoted Do respondents think teleworking will hurt their chances?
Work Support
Will telework mean more or less of a workload for nonteleworkers?
Management Style
Comfort level working under results oriented
management?
Office/Secretarial Duties
How willing or able to do own clerical work?
Colleague Stimulation
How much will this change for better or worse?
Isolation
How much will loss of workplace social contact matter?
Self-Discipline
How hard will it be to start work, be able to stop working
& to not lose focus?
Disruption to Work
Concentration Will this be easier or more difficult than at
the office?
Leisure Time
How much will your leisure time be affected by
telework?
Family Time
Will teleworking give you more or less?
Time with Friends/Neighbors Ditto
Environmental Impact
How much might teleworking help the environment?
Commuting Time
How much will telework have a positive or negative
affect?
Commuting Costs/Subsidies Ditto
Meal & Beverage Costs
Ditto
Clothing/Personal Grooming Costs Ditto
Personal Health
Ditto
Stress Levels/Morale
Ditto
Flexibility to Set Own Work Hours Ditto
Design of Work Space
Ditto
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Dress Code
Ditto
Smoking
Do you?
Unfamiliarity of Teleworking How much employees fear the unknowns of remote
work?
Loyalty to Employer
How much might telework stop you seeking another job?
Client (both Internal & External) Issues:
Complaints
Monitor how much they change over time?
Response Times
Ditto
Category of Complaints
Ditto
Seamless Service
Have clients had cause to notice adoption of telework?
Environmental Issues:
Increasingly, employers are awakening to the realization that benefits accrue not only
to society, but also to their own bottom lines by being seen to be proactively striving
to contribute positively to the environment. Investment groups are seeking out
"green" organizations, and people prefer to be associated with environmentally
responsible employers, their products and services.
b. Conduct a cost/benefit analysis
The most important assumption to be made relates to the value of employee time.
Traditionally it would assumed that the value is the total cost of an employee (basic
salary + employment taxes + benefits + overhead) divided by the number of hours
worked. However, this costing basis would be a significant understatement of the true
cost of an employee while they are being unproductive for whatever reason. The true
cost is the MISSED contribution to the organization that is NOT being made because of
the different factors identified as impacting productivity.
Costs that may incur:
• Telework Project Team Manager unless you can divert an employee with equal
commitment & status.
• Benchmarking and Resource audit surveys.
• Implementation training/briefings for all levels. Training is one of the key elements to
success.
• Capital to enable telework (furniture, hardware, software, support desks &
networks).
• Ongoing operational costs for extra line charges, "Hoteling" software, FedEx/UPS
fees to transfer physical items (files, supplies, spare parts), and home office
allowances; to contribute towards the extra costs of working from home such as the
beefing up of electrical circuits to carry added loads, additional lighting and security,
and the increased use of HVAC, and insurance riders
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• The "Opportunity Cost" of having staff involved in the project team, during which
time they will not be contributing.
• Policy writing, Union negotiations, Regulatory compliance (OSHA, FSLA etc.), and
insurance riders to cover the remote work locations, their equipment & software.
• Support, which can include, besides training & guidance, field and system engineers,
clerical services and help desks.
• Periodic program assessments to compare practices against previous survey results.
Focus group meetings can reconfirm conclusions drawn from the findings.
• Making policy & procedural adjustments to the program in light of experience and
survey findings.
Assessing Alternative Teleworking Models to suit activities and budget
Restraints
There are four main types of telework that will result in different configuration
requirements, and will enable work either from home, from a telework center/satellite
office or as a "Mobile".
• The Casual Teleworker (sometimes called Episodic teleworker) usually teleworks
irregularly on a special project, in the evenings, to avoid traffic congestion or at
weekends. They will need a basic desktop or laptop, a modem to access files or to do
research. The biggest issues with this type of teleworker are providing support after
hours and security of data and the network associated with getting at that data. Also,
because these activities are often done on an ad hoc basis, there is an element of risk
control required to prevent the employer being exposed to potential liability.
• The Formal Teleworker works at least 1-3 days per week from home. They will need
at least a midpriced desktop or laptop with connectivity at a speed that makes
videoconferencing possible, the use of a VoIP phone, and to work with large files &
graphics. Because they will be making regular and lengthy calls, a second phone line
will be needed. Again, support and security are big issues.
• The Telework center/Satellite Office-based Teleworker again works at least 1-3 days
per week from these locations, which are usually only a short drive from home.
Alternatively, they can be used when project teams are away from the main office for
short periods. Their needs can be a blend of A & B above, depending on the scope of
their activities.
• The Mobile works away from the office and will usually only go to the office for
special
& infrequent meetings, leaving directly from home or their hotel to visit clients and
attend meetings. He/she can be on the road for most of the week. To do all this, a
powerful laptop with good communications capability, which can be used anywhere, is
called for. Wireless/cellular modems now make this possible. Support and security are
big issues.
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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TELEWORK
Market and user orientation
The implementation of telework should be embedded in market-related or customerrelated strategies.
• The introduction of telework should be based on medium and long-term strategic
decisions, not only on short-term cost decisions, because they are not easily reversible.
Outsourcing and decentralisation processes of complex activities should be based on a
precise definition concerning the type of core know-how that should remain available
within the organisation. Outsourcing or decentralisation of low-skilled work by means
of telecommunication media should be based on a thorough analysis of customers'
and teleworkers' needs and flexibility and the impact of telework on the quality of
work.
• It should be kept in mind that for the successful flexibilisation of an enterprise
through telework, high organisational efforts are necessary in areas such as training
and support of the teleworkers, maintenance of the corporate identity, social
integration within the firm etc. The introduction of tele-homework or simple desksharing strategies may have an unanticipated negative impact on the identity and
social cohesion of the enterprise.
• The substitution of employees by freelancing teleworkers may create certain risks for
the employer, mainly in sectors of development, information management, customer
services and distribution / selling. Experiences with freelance teleworkers have not
always been positive.
• The impact of the creation of tele-homework jobs as an instrument of desk-sharing
and downsizing strategies of larger enterprises has not been thoroughly evaluated by
the pioneers of this approach. We know very little about the consequences of this
strategy, which should be used only within pilot projects and evaluated by specialists.
• Regional policy should support the activities of local and regional network suppliers
who are offering a platform for local small and medium-sized enterprises.
Labour market policy
Telework needs to be supported by an active labour market policy.
• The introduction of telework in peripheral regions should be based on or
supplemented by continuous processes of upskilling on the job and by regional
schemes of vocational education for target groups.
• Public grants for private investment by firms establishing teleservice centres, call
centres etc. in rural or former industrial regions should only be supported if training is
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provided to the teleworkers and if the firms are participating in the infrastructural
development of the community.
• Telework can best contribute to the general economic performance of peripheral or
former industrial regions if local and regional actors develop a concept of providing
infrastructure, training and support to freelancing teleworkers and small and medium
sized enterprises.
• The creation of tele-homework jobs as an instrument of desk-sharing and downsizing
strategies of enterprises located elsewhere should not be particularly be supported by
local administrations and communities. It can be assumed that this strategy is mainly
in the interests of the companies, who are neither contributing to local investment nor
improving the local infrastructure.
Telework and disabled persons
The setting up of telework projects for disabled people should be based on collective
training.
• Employers should be informed about ways in which telework could answer their
internal organisational issues as well as the needs of disabled people.
• Potential teleworkers with disabilities should be trained within telecentres to make
their personal and vocational skills really adapted to the position offered.
• Feasibility studies and test periods should be planned, according to the particular
situation of each teleworker.
• New markets and services should be identified and developed in which teleworkers
can successfully compete if their performance is reduced.
Establishment and start of telework
The introduction of telework should be based on pilot projects and should be
evaluated thoroughly before extending this type of working more generally.
• As most enterprises are still inexperienced in the field of telework, the introduction
of telework should be based on voluntary pilot projects. They should be evaluated by
impartial experts in order to create a climate of trust.
• The members of the pilot project should not be isolated or recruited from different
departments if possible. It seems to be useful to create complete telework teams from
groups which have already been working together. Otherwise the risk of an
unsuccessful pilot project is high.
• A negative evaluation of a pilot project may lead to a sceptical attitude towards
telework for years.
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• Training is not only necessary for the teleworkers but also for the managers
remaining within the traditional workplace. Managerial staff has to be trained in the
effective use of telecommunications and the development of management by
objectives.
Access to qualifications and training
• The introduction of telework should be combined with the development of a new
training policy of the enterprise. Education and training should be orientated towards
self- learning. There should be analysis of the demand for particular qualifications and
coaching measures as well as of existing resources. Training should provide scope for
on-going mutual professional exchange between employees as well as between
employees and management.
• The creation of a permanent body to oversee this area, made up of representatives
of management, employees, the works council and external specialists, is
recommended.
• Apart from participation in internal training measures during working hours,
employees should be granted the right of a minimum period of release each year for
external training activities, in order to prevent risks of deskilling.
• In case of insufficient in-house training resources, enterprises should closely
cooperate with specialized training centres. These centres could additionally take over
a supervising and support role in the fields of training and personal development for
telework and could serve as competence bodies for the introduction and
implementation of an enterprise's teleworking processes.
Social links
Telework requires new communication and interaction methods between teleworkers,
employees and employers.
• The introduction of telework should be based on a thorough evaluation of the social
and psychological aspects of decentralised work undertaken using information and
communication technologies (ICTs). This mainly should include a clear definition of the
new roles and conditions of interaction between teleworkers and employees in the
central office, an analysis of the different communication needs and the implications
for the use of ICTs of the working tasks to be fulfilled. This should be done in
cooperation with external advisors and with the participation of works council
representatives.
• Regular meetings for the continuous evaluation of problems arising from teleworker
communication (both internally within the company and externally) should be held.
Teleworkers should have the right to require appropriate high-specification
communication lines, to ensure easy and direct contact to colleagues.
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• Regular meetings in the office or by bi-directional telecommunication links to enable
the workers and managers to discuss communication problems should be held, in work
time.
Health standards
Existing health standards must be adopted to telework.
• The introduction of telework should be linked to a requirement on both the
employer and employee to be thoroughly informed about the health and safety risks
of the new work arrangement. This should include the necessary minimal standards for
technical equipment as well as working conditions. Individual internal or external
health and safety inspectors could be responsible for the control of these standards.
• The health and safety inspectors, accompanied by a representative of the works
council, should have the right of access to the place of telework, with the consent of
the teleworkers.
• The existing national and European legal frameworks of health and security
protection should be checked and if appropriate amended to include aspects of health
and security in teleworking. These regulations should refer to working conditions as
well as technical equipment.
Aspects of telework contracts
The following points may be considered appropriate for a telework agreement,
covering home-based teleworkers.
• The technical equipment in the teleworker's home is provided by the employer. It is
of the same technical standard as equipment used elsewhere in the enterprise, is to be
used only for professional use and remains the employer's property. If the teleworking
project ends or the employee leaves employment, the equipment is returnable to the
employer immediately.
• Costs incurred by the teleworker (such as electricity, heating, telephone and a
proportion of rent payments) are paid by the employer as a flat rate.
• Travelling expenses between the enterprise and the employee's home or a meal
subsidy are not covered.
• Telework from a home workplace implies arrangements to establish when the
teleworker can be contacted, and how work performance is to be measured. The
worker remains an employee, covered by standard employment laws, social security
arrangements, etc.
• Both the employer and employee have the right to initiate or to end a teleworking
arrangement, allowing for a suitable period of notice. The opportunity to telework is
not a right of employees.
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• The teleworker fulfils the working time arrangements agreed by contract, which may
be shared between the home workplace and the employer's own premises. Electronic
monitoring of working times is not allowed without agreement of the works
council/trade unions.
• Data security requires special measures. Data may not be passed without
authorisation to a third party.
• Issues of accident prevention, safety and ergonomics at the place of telework are
handled in accordance with the relevant legal requirements operating in the rest of the
enterprise.
Representatives of the employer or works council, and data security or health and
safety inspectors have the right to access to the home workplace, by arrangement with
the teleworker.
SAFETY/OBLIGATIONS
Teleworkers must address issues of their own personal safety to be effective while
teleworking from a home office. This is not an issue in telework centers, where
appropriate workstations are provided.
Manager Safety Responsibilities

Review safety checklist with teleworker.

Managers may have the authority to visit home offices, with advance notice to
the teleworker.
Manager Security Responsibilities

Work with employees to ensure they fully understand and have the technical
expertise to comply with agency requirements.

Invest in technology and equipment that can support success.

Work with employees to develop secure systems for potentially sensitive
documents and other materials.

Track removal and return of potentially sensitive materials, such as personnel
records.

Enforce personal privacy requirements for records.
CONCLUSIONS
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Private employers have found that telework options can have a positive effect on the
bottom line in a variety of ways. Some of telecommuting’s benefits to employers have
been documented, including improved employment recruiting and retention, reduced
expenditures for office and parking space, and productivity improvements for the
employer. Clearly some types of telework are primarily about cost savings and
increasing workers’ productivity, while others have greater benefits for workers
themselves, and thus help attract and retain employees.
The benefits of teleworking programs to employers are not guaranteed, but are at
least partially within the employer’s power to forecast and affect. Thus, there are a
number of entities, including private consultants, non-profit groups, and government
agencies, offering assistance in setting up teleworking programs on the premise that
such help will improve the chances of success and benefits to employers.
Employers are now interested in telework chiefly because the relative price of
telecommunication has fallen. This gives businesses an incentive to use it to substitute
for or complement more expensive inputs, including labor, to reduce costs and/or
increase productivity. This becomes particularly important in a tight labor market. For
example, the price of mobile telephone service fell. Many employers now provide
mobile employees with mobile telephones to allow them to communicate from
wherever they are, saving time, and thus reducing labor costs for their employers.
A variety of teleworking’s benefits to employees have also been documented,
including savings in time and out-of-pocket costs and greater personal independence
as workers seek to broaden their choices of work arrangements, travel, and location.
A worker’s time and money are limited and valuable to himself or herself as well as to
his or her employer. Thus, if telecommunication allows more efficient use of time,
whether for work or for leisure, it also makes time more valuable. This value belongs
to the worker if he or she is paid according to output rather than by the hour, though
hourly workers also benefit in competitive labor markets.
One very concrete reason workers choose to telework, based on the term as defined
at the outset of this paper, is to save time they would otherwise spend commuting.
However, research does suggest that telework can affect travel patterns, for example
causing teleworkers to choose to travel to destinations closer to home. Home workers
choosing work over other non-income-producing activities like time-consuming types
of recreation and non-essential travel is consistent with the hypothesis that they, like
home-based telecommuters, have higher opportunity costs of time than the same
individuals in traditional work arrangements.
This would also match time use research indicating that highly paid professionals and
managers, a group well represented among teleworkers, were among the likeliest to
work very long hours.
What Issues Does Telework Raise for the future?
• Not all workers will have the option to telework, but those who do will have greater
flexibility than other workers, allowing them choices not previously available.
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• Those able to telework will have greater productivity and thus earn more than other
workers.
• Because telework depends upon telecommunication, it will be susceptible to
different kinds of disruptions than work travel.
Gender, education, occupation, income or geographic location may limit an individual’s
ability to benefit from the changing nature of work, travel and telecommunication. The
consequences of these differences may be magnified by public policy.
Many of those able to telework have greater flexibility in work location, and
sometimes also in work hours, than those who cannot. This flexibility also gives them
additional options in their private lives with respect to when and how much they
travel, where they will live, and all of the important dimensions of quality of life that
flow from these decisions. For example, choice of work and home location determines
whether one lives in a dense urban area, a suburb or even a rural area, and affects the
environmental quality and safety one experiences daily, where one’s children go to
school, and whether other members of the household will be able to find and keep
jobs. Lack of locational constraints will allow a subset of workers to locate in places not
previously possible, with potentially significant consequences, while others will remain
very constrained.
Much telework requires some kind of investment—in hardware or software, a remote
workspace and/or in the worker him/herself. Such investment is making teleworkers
more productive because it provides them with more complete and current
information even when they are mobile, and gives individuals greater control over the
use of their time, leading to increased earnings and greater work opportunities. These
effects increase the value individuals and employers place on time. Those who do not
receive such investment from others, and are not able to make it themselves, will fall
further behind in productivity, earnings and opportunities.
MANAGERS MUST
MANAGERS MAY NOT
MANAGERS MAY
Implement
routine Under normal circumstances,
telework
in
their require that an employee
organization to the work from home
fullest extent possible
Require an employee to
work at an alternative
worksite (e.g., a telework
center)
within
the
employee’s commuting area
Treat
employees
equitably and fairly in
implementing telework
in their organization
Terminate
a
telework
agreement for business
reasons, e.g., an employee’s
poor performance or a
change in the nature of the
work
Terminate
a
telework
agreement for reasons other
than business or performance
reasons
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Identify eligible and
ineligible
employees
using
established
agency criteria
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participación y la movilidad laboral de la mujer
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