Teleworking and Development Issues and Policy Considerations

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Teleworking and Development Issues and Policy
Considerations

• Cecilia Ng
• UNU/INTECH

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TELEWORKING - working from a distance/away from
the main office with the support of information
and communication technologies (ICT)

• TELETRADE - REMOTE WORK ACROSS NATIONAL BORDERS

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TELEWORKING - The future of WORK IN THE
INFORMATION SOCIETY. WHY?

• Increasing digitisation of information
• Part of the trend towards more flexible forms of
  work
• Part of the trend towards decentralisation and
  outsourcing of work

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The future of WORK IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY.
(cont.)

• Provides choices for people in terms of where
  they work (especially in information processing
  jobs)
• Potential for a better quality of life through
  increased choice and autonomy over working lives

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Benefits of Teleworking to Developing Countries
(by overcoming barriers of time and space)

• Increase in productivity
• Increase in efficiency
• Increase in global competitiveness
• Create value-added employment opportunities
• Lead to sustainable development
• bring work to remote areas
• create jobs for disadvantaged e.g women, poor,
  disabled
• Lessen rural-urban migration

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WHAT JOBS CAN BE TELEWORKED?

• Management
• Sales and marketing
• Other IT specialisations (eg. Website managers)
• Graphic design
• Consultancy
• Writing and editing/journalism

• Translation
• Research
• Data entry and typing
• Secretarial work
• Telephone operators/counsellors
• Accounts
• Administration
• Desktop publishing

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Examples of Teleworking

• In Italy, Telecom staff at seven directory
  enquiry service offices have been given the
  opportunity to work from home, equipped by the
  company with a computer, modem, fax machine and
  telephone

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Examples (cont.)

• In England in 1994, Digital Equipment closed down
  its regional office in Newmarket, replacing it
  with a very telecentre for secretarial staff
  only. The remaining 90 staff have become
  flexible workers, working from home or whilst
  on the move

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Examples (cont.)

• In the Philippines, data entry workers have been
  inputting text and compiling the catalogue for
  the new National Library in Paris.
• In Barbados, staff (almost all women) handle
  insurance claims from policy-holders with the
  Canadian insurance company ManuLife (previously
  Confederation Life)

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Examples (cont.)

• In Ireland, staff at a hotel reservation agency
  in Cork take calls in seven European languages
  from about sixteen countries. Callers dial
  toll-free numbers in their own countries and
  their calls are automatically routed to Ireland.

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DIFFERENT FORMS/LOCATION OF TELEWORKING

• HOME-BASED (TELEHOMEWORKING)
• CLIENT-BASED
• MOBILE
• Telecentres
• Relocated Back Offices

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS

• PART-TIME - CORE EMPLOYEES
• FULL-TIME - CORE EMPLOYEES
• FREE-LANCED
• INDEPENDENT SUB-CONTRACTOR

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• ISSUES AND POLICY CONSIDERATIONS.

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CONCLUSION

• STUDY POTENTIAL OF TELEWORKING
• STUDY BARRIERS
• AREAS OF INTERVENTION
• PILOT PROJECTS
• MONITORING
• STATE, BUSINESS AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN DIALOGUE