eWORK 2000 - European Telework Week

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New Ways to Work 2000European Telework9 Telework in the European CommissionIn July 1997, the European Commission adopted a set of policy recommendations on the Labour Market andSocial Dimension of the Information Society 40 . This included a recommendation to promote telework inEurope, and a commitment to study how to explore the use of telework within the Commission itself.In 2000, the Commission is itself in a process of institutional and administrative reform. This includes a"complete rethinking of our working methods". The initial analyses of opportunities for increased efficiencyand accountability have identified telework as one of the opportunities. The target date for implementation ofreform is the end of 2000.The potential benefits and limitations to telework in a large Public Administration like the EuropeanCommission (15,000 staff) have been explored in a Pilot project, initiated in 1998, and currently underevaluation. Telework within the project had four principal objectives :-• to increase the efficiency of the Commission through more effective use of staff time and skills;• to enhance staff's well-being through assisting them to reconcile work and private life and reduce traveltime and stress;• to establish good practice in the application of telework in a public administration;• to contribute to environmental improvement in host countries. By reducing the number of Commissionstaff commuting by car during peak hours the Commission can contribute to a reduction in congestion,pollution, accidents, fuel consumption etc.The telework pilot project currently involves 132 Officials in two of the Commission’s General Directorates:Those responsible for the “Information Society” and “Employment” policies. All teleworkers have signed amanagement agreement with their respective manager and Director which outlines the parameters within whichtheir individual telework will take place.In the Employment DG, 32 teleworkers are currently taking part in the project. The number has been stablesince the start of the pilot in January 1999 although 14 individuals have left the project since its start and havebeen replaced. The teleworkers are currently 16 Grade A staff (including 2 Heads of Unit) 10 Grade Bs and 6Grade Cs. All participants are volunteers whose involvement in the pilot has also been approved by theirmanagement. There are 16 men and 16 women, and all Directorates are represented. All teleworking is carriedout from the teleworkers' homes. Teleworking currently represents 19% of working time, and can be up to40% of the total time (ie 2 days a week). The pattern of telework varies and can be either for fixed or variabledays, full days, half days or just a couple of hours to enable the teleworker to avoid travelling during the rushhours.Within the Information Society DG, 90 teleworkers currently take part in the pilot. This number has increased:From an initial number of 40 in January 1999, 10 have left the pilot, and 50 additional volunteers joined forthe second phase starting on the 1 February 2000. The teleworkers are currently 68 Grade A staff (including 3Heads of Unit and 3 Directors and 2 LA), with 11 women and 57 men; 14 Grade Bs (4 women and 10 men),and 8 Grade Cs (6 women and 2 men). All are volunteers, and all Directorates and job types in DG INFSO arerepresented.40COM(97)390- 144 -
New Ways to Work 2000European TeleworkWithin DG INFSO, three models of telework are explored: Some teleworkers' work part-time from theirhomes, as in DG EMPL. Others are equipped to work where-ever they may be while on official travel, bothwithin the EU and in other countries: Particular attention has been given to this mobile aspect of teleworkbecause of the involvement of the DG with the development of mobile communications. A third option ofwork in Commission Offices away from the normal place of work (in Brussels for Staff normally based inLuxembourg, and vice-versa) has so far been little used. Teleworking accounts for up to 30% of total workingtime, but the pattern of telework varies with the type of telework and individual preference..Questionnaires were issued in April 2000 to all teleworkers, their managers and selected colleagues in bothDGs. A number of clear messages emerge from these surveys:-• Both managers and teleworkers continue to report that teleworking brings clear net benefits to theCommission in terms of the quality and quantity of work produced and the number of deadlines met.• Teleworkers enjoy the experience of teleworking and are deriving real personal benefits from it.Advantages identified include a reduction in commuting time; less stress; a better combination of work andsocial/family life and better working conditions;• The pilot is succeeding in its aim of giving staff practical experience of teleworking. It is also making acontribution, albeit very modest, towards reducing the number of peak-hour commuters in Brussels.• Some managers report that teleworking is having an adverse effect on communications within theirteams. This finding which will need careful consideration before the introduction of teleworking on awider scale can be contemplated with confidence.The principal achievements of the Pilot so far are:• A common management agreement, implementation and evaluation framework was established: Asubstantial number of members of Staff in both DGs volunteered to participate, and had the support oftheir superiors and Directors for their participation. Within this common framework, a wide diversity ofwork arrangements have been explored by staff in all grades and with a wide variety of responsibilities;• Benefits have been identified in both the quality and quantity of work done, and in the ability of staff toreconcile work and family or health requirements. The pilot has proved a successful framework withinwhich such impacts can be monitored.• Many initial problems with informatics and telecommunications tools have been resolved. Effectivetechnological platforms have now been provided for the support of home-based and mobile telework, withreliable remote access to e-mail. Some teleworkers have also experimented with remote access to theIntranet, internet, shared files and some applications. However, with fast-changing technologies, bettersystems will always become available, and the technical infrastructure has been kept under constantreview;The pilot has attracted wide interest in many services of the Commission, and in other European institutions.Articles have been published in newspapers and magazines, allowing others to benefit from our experience.- 145 -
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eWORK 2000 - European Telework Week

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