eWORK 2000 - European Telework Week

New Ways to Work 2000European TeleworkMatters are even more delicate when much of this type of work, often with a high value such as in the case ofthe NTICs for instance, but also in the case of most information based activities, can be performed anywherein the world and thus escapes the coverage of national laws.It is therefore understandable that many governments are reluctant to create restrictions which may cause amigration of high value activities and competencies to other countries. The case of Ireland where thelegislation has been quite flexible, with the resulting growth of a large information based workforce and a realshortage of high-skilled workers, shows how strong the mobility of the international workforce is becoming.In addition to these considerations which affect the traditional safety of employment and the welfare benefits,there is a great amount of part-time work, or even “micro jobs” that could be performed if the laws created forthe industrial society where not based on the concept of employment. Many young people prepared to starttheir professional lives and to access the work market by carrying a large number of small piecemeal tasks thatcan be contracted and carried out on the network often within temporary projects or teams, are prevented fromdoing so by the restrictions of the law and by the excessive initial barriers and costs of setting up as selfemployed.Under the present law, a license for self employment added to the high social-security monthly payments makeit very unattractive when not downright impossible to start a new activity for people who have not access toinitial capital. Most public subventions and incentive programmes are so restrictive and complicated toadministrate that they are not adapted to the fast changing reality of the market.- 102 -