1996 - European Telework Week

Telework 96
The attitude of the majority of participants in these centres to the idea of teleworking was
overwhelmingly positive. Telework was seen as potentially offering flexibility, control
over the working environment, greater opportunities and social integration. However,
there was frustration at the lack of immediate paid work. A common problem between
countries was the 'benefits trap', where any attempt to take paid work led to immediate
loss of disability benefits.
In a series of recommendations, the TWIN partners have argued that people with
disabilities who can be employed through teleworking should not lose social welfare
benefits as a consequence. Teleworking by disabled people should never be introduced
to segregate disabled employees from non-disabled workers.
2.6.3. Telecentres and larger businesses
The growing network of Telecentres (sometimes called Telecottages) in several
European countries provide access at local community level to information and
telecommunications technology. Most of these Telecentres have been supported initially
by grant-funding, but increasingly other sources of income will be needed to enable them
to continue.
One possibility is for them to offer workspace for rental use (on a full-time, part-time or
occasional basis) by employees and contractors of larger organisations based elsewhere.
This sort of 'neighbourhood office' concept has potential advantages over home-based
telework (including the opportunity for social and technical support, access to
administrative services and to sophisticated technology). It provides an alternative also
to the traditional branch office model for larger organisations, or to the use of
outsourcing companies.
The neighbourhood office idea was piloted successfully in four out of six local
Telecentres which participated in the OFFNET project, the successful projects being
located in Austria and the United Kingdom. The centres found that in general clients for
the pilots were found through personal contacts rather than through the major marketing
and publicity drives undertaken. An enthusiastic 'sponsor' at a senior level within the
client organisation was necessary to drive forward the neighbourhood office idea.
Private sector organisations are in general at present unfamiliar with the neighbourhood
office concept. Although home-based teleworking has a number of disadvantages for
employers, companies which are contemplating moves to flexible work models are
influenced by cost considerations which tend at present to favour home-based rather than
neighbourhood office teleworking.
By contrast, public sector organisations such as local government bodies have been
found to be much more likely to be prepared to base staff at neighbourhood offices,
partly through a desire to provide service delivery close to citizens. The most successful
pilot under the OFFNET project saw about 30 staff from a local authority in Wales
working out of a neighbourhood office.
2.6.4. Teleworking across national boundaries
The technology which makes teleworking possible helps to make it more possible to
work across national boundaries.
- 50 -