Information Technology and its effects in Working practices.

Information Technology and its effects in Working practices

Teleworking

Introduction

Information Technology has a great effect on society today, changing lives of many people in school, home and at work. I will be looking at how information technology has had a great effect in working practices. Technology has changed the lives of both employees and employers bringing both advantages and disadvantages. The topic, which I will be looking at, is teleworking and what are its advantages and disadvantages to both the employee and the employer.

Teleworking

Teleworking, sometimes called telecommuting, means working from home using modern technology to keep in touch with your business. Often teleworkers are based at home but they can also work from telecenters and satellite offices. Heathcote (1998) says Teleworking involves carrying out work away from the office and communicating with the employer through the use of computer and telecommunications equipment. Jobs can be relocated to places where it is more attractive, more convenient or cheaper to live.

At present, teleworking is most advanced in the U.S. with only 3% of European employees engaged in teleworking along with an estimated 20 million worldwide. Predictions are that by the year 2006, the number could increase. Teleworking is facilitated by the recent rapid advances in the power of enabling technologies coupled with a significant reduction in their prices. These technologies include e-mail, ISDN, PCs, high speed modems and so on.

Tools Needed For Teleworking

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To enable an employee to efficiently work from home they need the right equipment to enable them to do so. This is why the correct tools are essential. Here are the results of a survey conducted by (Http: 1)

Teleworkers also use: -

24% Photocopier
19% ISDN
4% Videoconferencing
3% Tools

Equipment is usually bought from the employees themselves although now more and more employers are responsible for providing equipment for employees. This also includes costs for damages and any upgrades that might be needed.

Advantages For ...

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Teleworkers also use: -

24% Photocopier
19% ISDN
4% Videoconferencing
3% Tools

Advantages For Employee

Reduced Travel Time and Costs. Many employees benefit from not having to move away from home to work. This means that they save money on travel costs such as petrol and car repairs. It also means that they spend extra hours working that a normal person would spend travelling to work. Constant delays and traffic is also a known cause for stress and can make workers tired when they arrive at wok.
Flexible Hours. Employees now find that they can work when what time is suitable for them, take breaks when they need at and still be able to do normal house hold jobs such as pick children from work. Many employees feel that they are able to spend more time with the family this way.
More Work Opportunities. This is a specific advantage for the disabled and people from other countries. Disable who would not normally be able to work can work from there own home without having to travel, which can be a problem and have all the equipment that they need. This can also mean better work opportunities for people who cannot work during normal office hours.
Work In Teams. People in different graphical locations can work together in team and can ask one another any problems that they are having.
Better Working Environment. Many employees find that working from the comfort of there enables them to work better as the relaxed and less stressed than working in a busy noisy environment of an office.

Disadvantages For An Employee

Employees Feel Unsocial. Many employees who work at home feel unsocial as they stay at home and do not get to meet new people or socialise with friends.
Can Be A Cause Of Tension In the Home. Some people find that working at home causes tension as they are unable to talk to family members as they are busy with there work this makes family members feel cut out.
Unable To Work. Some employees feel that they cannot separate family time with work time. They find difficult to work in an atmosphere where there are children and noise.
No Enthusiasm. Some employees may find that since their manager or employee is not there they are not enthusiastic to work and can become lazy. Also employees feel less urged to work when there are no opportunities of promotion or bonuses.

Advantages For Employer

Cost Saving. Employers can save on costs such as work space, electricity, heating, lighting, office stationary and any other costs that situated when working in an office.
Flexible Staffing. Gives access to employees who may find conventional or full time employment difficult (Lynch, 1999)
Improved Motivation. Many employees find that their employees work better from home, as they are more relaxed and can do a better job without someone looking over their shoulder.
Less time taken off by employees Due To Illness. Employees who regularly might feel that they can work at home. Also many workers who are off from work for a long time due to a serious illness feel that they can work during the time that they are recovering.

Disadvantages For The Employer

Difficulty in controlling employees. It is difficult for employees to see how well they are working and if they are putting their full amount of effort into their work.

"If I can't see them, I can't control them."

Lack of company culture and ethos (LYNCH, 1999)
Data and security will be less secure. As information is constantly going to be sent through the internet the company is more prone to hackers who want to steel or view their confidential data.
Higher Communication Costs. This is another disadvantage as with teleworking a lot of communication will be needed therefore costs will be higher than in a office based business.

What Would Improve Teleworking For Employees

A survey conducted by (http: 2) asked a majority of teleworkers what would improve teleworking for them. The results are as follows: -

10% say they would like better support from the office

23% say that would like more communication with employees

30% say that they would like to have better equipment

37% say that they would like a better home working environment

I have taken these results and have produced them on a graph: -

These statistics were received from (http:3) I then converted these figures in form of a chart.

General Statistics

These statistics were also received from http: 3: -

In 1993 there were only 130,000 people teleworking, or half a percent of the workforce. A year later this figure jumped to 560,000. Teleworking statistics were first introduced in the Labour Force Survey in 1997 and have grown by an average of 13 percent a year. Over the period 1997 to 2001, the total increase in teleworking is up by between 65 and 70 percent, with further growth predicted.

The majority of teleworkers are men (67 percent), while they make up only 53 percent of the workforce. Teleworkers are predominately from the following industry groups: professional; managerial and senior officials; and associate professional and technical. Although the self-employed are strongly represented among teleworkers, their share is decreasing.

International comparisons show that teleworking in the UK is just above the average for ten EU countries covered by a recent survey. Germany and France have the smallest proportion of employed people working as teleworkers, while Finland has the highest proportion.

Around three quarters of teleworkers work in the private sector. Most teleworkers are in occupational groups.

Conclusion

Looking ahead, new technologies are expected to make it even easier to work remotely and will increase the number of occupations and industries, which are able to offer teleworking opportunities. These technologies include broadband Internet connections, which are becoming more and more popular and affordable, and multimedia mobile phones with improved Internet access.