Taxonomy and description

Terminology

Telecommuting generally refers to a formal arrangement between employees and their employers with regard to conducting work at home or at a remote work centre (a satellite office or drop in centre available to anyone) as opposed to his or her main workplace. A number of other terms are used interchangeably with telecommuting such as teleworking, remote working, distance working, however strictly speaking these terms all imply electronically-mediated working (HOP Associates, 1998). For the purposes of KonSULT we assume that the terminology is interchangeable.

Types of Telecommuting

Telecommuting covers a wide range of working concepts with emphasis being placed on flexibility. A study funded by the DETR (1997) identified four key areas:

• home-based telecommuting;
  
• having a base office but conducting most work in the field;
  
• mobile working (perhaps at different sites); and,
  
• working in local work centres (perhaps co-located with related businesses), linked to the head office information system.

In general the arrangements for telecommuting are formalised between employers and employees and are often, but not always, part of a programme incorporating changes in a company’s organisation, property portfolio, business processes and working practices. Alternatively the impetus for change may come from the individual employee, responding to a change in their personal circumstances. The telecommuting arrangement may result in various mixes of employees working at home and in the main office, e.g. 50:50 or 25:75 etc. Informal telecommuting can also exist, whereby the employee may decide that he or she would be more productive and/or it would be more beneficial for them to work at home that day.

Technology

Whilst working from home does not necessarily require any technology, such as a home PC, the modern work place tends to function around the transfer of information and this is best achieved via email, the internet, fax machines and telephone communication. The majority of telecommuters will therefore have such technology either in their house or to hand at a remote work centre. Increasingly lap top computers and mobile phones (particularly if connected) are seen as essential equipment for those working in different locations, e.g. at home, at a client’s office or in a hotel. Technology is therefore a vital component in the development of telecommuting and one which will fuel its further development as a way of working, be that full time or part time.