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To create working environments that are reliable, well performing and easy to use, one has to consider first whether telecommuters
are stationary or mobile, their distance from the office, and the frequency and duration of communications. There are no
technical obstacles anymore to introduce teleworking, although technical equipment heavily depends on the type of telecommuting.
This topic covers stationary teleworking at the home office.
- It is highly recommended to physically separate work and home lives, otherwise telecommuters may have difficulty stopping
themselves from working. Physical seperation is also needed in order to avoid disturbance from outside like neighbours, marriage partner,
children, postman, etc.
- Although telecommuters are physically separated from the business community, home business operation must be accessible to
and compatible with it. This means teleworkers should operate their business during hours compatible with those of existing and
potential customers and contacts.
Further, by maintaining steady business hours, they will develop the discipline of concentrating on their work responsibilities and
minimizing the potential impact from household distractions. Office routines to structure time will also help minimizing the
spillover of business activities into family and social life.
Managers can help by making their expectations realistic for a normal work day and insisting that on-site employees respect the
telecommuter's schedule of work time and off time.
- As much as possible, business activities should be separated from personal activities. This will ensure that work related paperwork does
not get used for grocery lists or other family notes and messages. The physical separation will also help protect the
confidentiality of the dealings with the company and clients. Having the home office away from living areas will also help
maintain the personal discipline a telecommuter needs to work at home. Some people go so far as to physically leave the house
when it is time to go to work. They may walk around the block, re-enter the house (often by a different door) and proceed
to the office.
- A separate business telephone line will make it easier for the employer and clients to contact the teleworkers. The line may be
listed in the companies telephone directory. With a separate line, all business calls will be handled in a professional manner.
A separate line will also make it possible to close shop when the telecommuters are no longer working. An answering machine or
answering service will ensure that business calls are answered appropriately after normal business hours.
- Unless the home office is located in a very unusual setting, teleworkers usually expect few clients to visit, of course this
depends on their work they have to perform. As a result of not having to maintain appearances for clients, there is a risk of the
home office becoming an unmanageable jumble of paper, books and so on. Teleworkers should organize and maintain their home office
according to the same standards that they would use in regular office premises. As well as helping to reinforce the
personal discipline, efficient organization will prevent important pieces of paper from going astray.
- There are also several considerations concerning security, privacy, ergonomics and healthy issues. Confidental data
and information as well as security codes have to be protected from third parties, ergonomic standards also have to be met.
The only unsolved question is whether the employer or the employee is responsible to meet all these issues. Another problem that
still needs to be solved is whether access by public representatives to the home office is granted in any case or may only be granted
by the telecommuter.
These are merely recommendations, but there is the need for standards and many problems like insurance, privacy and security
issues, that are not yet solved, have to be fixed by law.
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A seminar: using the Internet
winter term 97/98
