Media Reports featuring IVC / CTA

Calgary Herald - June 23/98 Technology Section
Future bright for 'telework' in Calgary
Ability to perform work from home sought by high-tech employees

A growing number of Canadian workers are saying goodbye to wasting time in traffic, catching co-workers' colds and getting enmeshed in office politics --they're joining the ranks of "teleworkers," employees who work either full or part-time from their home.

Teleworking is one of the most sought-after attractions high-tech workers want when scoping out prospective employers. It offers Generation Xers the option of burning the midnight oil at dawn if they want to, and gives parents the comfort of being there when their kids come home from school.

It also benefits employers through improved productivity, higher recruitment rates and lower absenteeism and attrition levels. About one million Canadians telework today, a 40-per-cent increase in less than four years. Statistics Canada predicts by the new millennium that number will increase by 50 per cent, to 1.5 million people. If Calgary companies ignore the trend, they run the risk of losing their best and brightest to companies south of the border, where telework is widely accepted, says Bob Fortier, president of Canadian Telework Association.

"Given that Calgary is a thriving information technology centre and the number of high-tech personnel is so vital, you are one of the prime centres for the future of teleworking," Fortier says. Encouraging companies to adopt formal telework policies would increase recruitment and retention of skilled high-tech workers, deal with the office space crunch currently facing Calgary, and alleviate traffic problems, he says. Fortier has reason to be optimistic about this city. Contrary to popular Eastern belief, Calgarians are a lot less conservative than their fellow workers in high-tech-heavy Ottawa when considering telework. Calgary won by a long shot in a poll on attitudes about the alternative work place taken at the Convergence 98 conference in May. "The poll had remarkably interesting results," says Fortier. "Calgarians were more flexible and willing to give telework a good try."

Out of 55 respondents, 81 per cent of Calgarians chose teleworking over having a corner office with a view, compared to 64 per cent of Ottawa residents. While half the Ottawans polled said if their wages were doubled they'd go back into the office, 58 per cent of Calgarians said absolutely nothing would induce them to give up telework. Calgarians are also more fitness-conscious: 37 per cent said they spend time saved by not commuting on working out. That compares to a big, fat zero per cent for the Ottawans polled. Calgary's openness to telework is being promoted as official policy in companies such as Alberta Blue Cross, TransAlta Utilities, Alberta Public Works and Sun Microsystems, as well as the largest national supporter of telework, Northern Telecom.

Despite benefits to employee and employer alike, however, telework has been slow to catch on in the Canadian high-tech community -- in direct contrast to the situation in the U.S., where the practice has quickly become popular with high-tech companies. "We're finding an unbelievable number of high-tech companies south of the border using telework as a recruitment and retention tool," says Fortier. In Ottawa-Carleton, Fortier estimates there are 5,000 to 10,000 high-tech teleworkers, but says that only one employer -- Northern Telecom -- has a formal telework program. The rest of the local telework population negotiates part-time arrangements with their employers on an ad-hoc basis.

According to Fortier, the absence of formal telework programs can have a long-term negative impact on the quality and quantity of the workforce. "If they don't have a telework program, local companies aren't doing everything they can to stop the brain drain and reduce the high-tech recruitment crisis," he says.  "Competitors south of the border and other countries will win over some of our recruits, and worse, may end up with some of our best-qualified and best-trained workers." That's not to say that Fortier thinks telework is the ultimate answer to the brain drain. But the "silent revolution" that telework constitutes is definitely part of the solution, he says -- a solution that may now be more attainable for local businesses, thanks to a new high-tech telework job board.

The Canadian Telework Job Board (www.ivc.ca) is the brainchild of CTA and the Canadian Advanced Technology Association (CATA). The first of its kind in Canada, the job board is an automated on-line service that will facilitate the matching of high-tech workers all over the world with Canadian employers who need them.   "We have identified 24 job boards for telework in the United States. Considering the intense level of global competition for talent, it was important to put Canada on the map for international workers," says Fortier.  In the six weeks since the job board has been up and running, more than 1,000 registrants -- individuals and companies -- have signed up for the service. Registration is free for individuals, and thanks to the non-profit status of both founding organizations, employer costs are modest.

But while the response from workers is overwhelmingly positive, many companies are hesitant to jump on the telework bandwagon. "'How do I know my employees are working if I can't see them?' That's a common problem with the employers, but it lessens over time," says Fortier.  "It's so new. Telework has only been around the past few years. Employers know it takes an investment to set up a formal program, and they're not yet sure if it's worth it.  "But it is worth it. Millions and millions of dollars can be saved by implementing telework."

Fortier cites savings in office space as one concrete advantage to employers. The average teleworker works at home two or three days a week, so several teleworkers can share an office by coming in on different days. Productivity is the other key employer benefit. According to federal government and U.S. studies posted on the CTA's website, productivity increases anywhere from 20 to 40 per cent among employees who telework.  That's probably because working at home offers fewer interruptions and more comfortable surroundings than a corporate office environment. And that, coupled with more time for family and less time commuting, means less stressed and more satisfied employees.

But while you might expect telework to get you out of the rat race, teleworker Arlen Bartsch disagrees.  "The pace doesn't change, the approach does," says Bartsch, who previously worked as Corel Corp.'s executive director of worldwide sales and marketing, and currently runs his own company, Internet startup i/us corp. "In the new and emerging economy, employers have to look at ways to be flexible. One of the ways to be flexible is to hire employees who are looking for balance in their lives." And Bartsch practices what he preaches. While he says he still works long hours, now he's home when his son returns from school. That's not to say telework is for everyone. Bartsch says it is definitely a challenge to set boundaries between work and home life, and Fortier is quick to point out that not all individuals or companies are either suited or adequately able to telework.

One thing, however, is for certain. "There's been a significant shift in how (employee) prospecting is done," says CATA president John Reid, who helped create the job-board software. "Ten years ago, electronic prospecting was non-existent. Now 40 to 50 per cent (of prospective high-tech employees) are identified by electronic means."

Toronto Star - June 10 Business Section
Telework Called a Cure": Looking for ways to deal with the Slacker Syndrome?"

Well, maybe that lazy employee should just stay home.  "We have a labour force that is antiquated in in terms of its behavior," says Bob Fortier, president of Ottawa-based InnoVisions Canada and chair of the non-profit Canadian Telework Association. "If a company has the ability to carry out work at other locations, maybe that will help the office slacker or office jerk."

Fortier says that a properly managed telework program may prove beneficial for both slackers and organizations.   One million Canadians now telework. "As part of the evolution of our workplace, many managers probably subconsciously learned their skills in an environment that equates 'presence' with 'working' " says Fortier. "But that may be the farthest thing from the truth."

More and more managers are embracing telework, he say, because under that system they are managing output and not just warm bodies.  "A manager's first reactions often, 'How do know they are working if I can't see them?' " says Fortier.  But having an employee out of the office means that he or she must produce because the end product is all the boss sees.   Just sitting at a desk no longer cuts it, says Fortier.

Globe and Mail - May 28 Business Section
On-line hiring

If you're looking for a high-tech job or already have a business going and want to find some teleworking help, you might want to join the new Canadian Telework Job Board, launched by the Canadian Telework Association and the Canadian Advanced Technology Association. The site, (http://technoskill.com/teleworkjobs/), is an on-line job-matching service for high-tech teleworkers.  Individuals can register on the site for free; businesses with fewer than 25 employees pay $2,000 a year for unlimited access to the database.

The Ottawa Citizen - May 27/97
High Tech Report
Job board boosts telework

Working from home has many benefits for employers and employees". (includes a 6" X 7" picture of Bob Fortier in his home office).  No more commutes. Less stress. More family time. Greater tax benefits. Those are just some of the acknowledged benefits of telework: working full or part time from home via phone, fax and e-mail. And if telework makes sense for employees, it makes sense for employers too -- especially high tech employers, where benefits include more productive employees, higher recruitment rates and lower absenteeism and attrition levels.

Despite benefits to employee and employer alike, however, telework has been slow to catch on in the Canadian high tech community - in direct contrast to the situation in the U.S., where the practice has quickly become popular with high tech companies.   "We're finding an unbelievable number of high-tech companies south of the border using telework as a recruitment and retention tool," says Bob Fortier, president of the Canadian Telework Association. In Ottawa-Carleton, Mr. Fortier estimates there are 5,000 to 7,000 high-tech teleworkers, but says that only one employer - Northern Telecom - has a formal telework program. The rest of the local telework population negotiates part-time arrangements with their companies on an ad-hoc basis.

According to Mr. Fortier, the absence of formal telework programs is contributing to the local brain drain. "If they don't have a telework program, local companies aren't doing everything they can to stop the brain drain and reduce the high-tech recruitment crisis", he says. "Competitors south of the border and other countries will win over some of our recruits, and worse, may end up with some of our best-qualified and best-trained workers." That's not to say that Mr. Fortier thinks that telework is the solution to the brain drain. The "silent revolution," that telework constitutes is definitely part of the solution, he says - a solution that may now be more attainable for local businesses, thanks to a new high-tech telework job board.

The Canadian Telework Job Board is the brainchild of the CTA and the Canadian Advanced Technology Association (CATA). The first of its kind in Canada, the job board is an automated, on-line service that will facilitate the matching of high-tech workers all over the world with Canadian employers who wish to engage them. "We have identified 24 job boards in the United States. Considering the intense levels of global competition for talent, it was important to put Canada on the map for international workers," says Mr. Fortier.

In the four weeks since the job board has been up and running, more than 400 registrants -- individuals and companies -- have signed up for the service. Registration is free for individuals, and due to the non-profit status of both founding organizations, employer costs are modest. But while the response from workers is overwhelmingly positive, many companies are hesitant to jump on the telework bandwagon. "How do I know my employees are working if I can't see them? That's a common problem with the employers, but it lessens over time,' says Mr. Fortier. "It's so new. Telework has only been around for the past few years.

"Employers know it takes an investment to set up a formal program and they're not yet sure if it's worth it. But it is worth it. Millions and millions of dollars can be saved by implementing telework." Mr. Fortier cites savings in office space as one concrete advantage to employers. The average teleworker works at home two or three days a week, so several teleworkers can share an office by coming in on different days. Productivity is the other key employer benefit. According to the federal government and U.S. studies, posted on the CTA's website, productivity increases anywhere from 20 to 40 per cent among employees who telework. That's probably because working at home offers less interruptions and more comfortable surroundings than a corporate office environment. And that, combined with more time for family and less time commuting, means less stressed and more satisfied employees."

While one could argue telework means getting out of the rat race, local teleworker Arlen Bartsch disagrees. "The pace doesn't change, the approach does," says Mr. Bartsch, who previously worked as Corel Corp's executive director of worldwide sales and marketing, and currently runs his own company, internet start-up i/us corp. "In the new and emerging economy, employers have to look at ways to be flexible. One of the ways to be flexible is to hire employees who are looking for balance in their lives." And Mr. Bartsch practices what he preaches. While he says that he still works long hours, now he's at home when his son returns from school.

That's not to say telework is for everyone. Mr. Bartsch says it is definitely a challenge to set boundaries between work and home life, and Mr. Fortier is quick to point out that not all individuals or companies are either suited or adequately able to telework.

One thing, however, is for certain. "There's been a significant shift in how (employee) prospecting is done". Says CATA president John Reid, who helped create the job board software. "Ten years ago electronic prospecting was non-existent. Now 40 to 50 per cent (of prospective high-tech employees) are identified by electronic means ."

And that's good news for the Telework Job Board.

Washington Post - April 26/98
High Tech Section

"Bob Fortier, president of the Canadian Telework Association (CTA), says high tech firms everywhere in North America - not just in the U.S., are experiencing "unbelievable competition" for skilled workers.   Fortier serves on the board of ITAC and cosponsors Telecommute America, a nationwide public awareness program that sponsors a week-long series of telecommuting activities and conferences each year. According to Fortier, "High tech companies are doing all they can to find and retain employees," which includes offering telework as part of a "hefty" benefits package".

Working Wise syndicated column - April 6/98
(most major U.S. daily papers, the TO Star and the Hamilton Spectator
Telecommuting Boosts Health, Productivity

Telecommuting - the 90s version of highway travel to a distant job - can be the answer when a worker is disabled temporarily or permanently....The acceptance for the disabled varies. It's fairly widespread in the United States and Canada, but not as accepted in Europe..." "Accommodating trained employees with health problems or disabilities while they're still able and willing to work is a driving force behind Canadian telework," says Bob Fortier, president of InnoVisions Canada and the Canadian Telework Association...

The Ottawa Citizen - Feb 2/98 letter to editor
Telework Reduces Need for Light-Rail Proposal

While I recognize that there are many proponents of light rail, I am concerned that such a proposal discounts the huge impact that information technology will play over the next decade on transportation demographics. I suggest that council re-examine San Francisco which I understand abandoned its light rail plans. Instead, it favoured a mixed bag of options including telework-a byproduct of information technology where employees work from home or other locations and-and the results seem quite promising.

On a national front, Canada now has 1 million teleworkers growing to 1.5 million by the year 2001 (according to Statistics Canada). This confirms that telework is now a reality which is here to stay. Combined with the growth of home-based work, it is entirely possible that many times that number will eventually be working from home within 10 years-at least part of the time. This enormous growth means that telework is a phenomenon that should be taken into account by decision-makers. Properly harnessed and promoted, there are significant benefits, not the least of which is the reduction of transportation, which everyone knows is a leading cause of greenhouse gases. To illustrate, if each of Canada’s 1 million teleworkers were to telework 1 day per week, in a year, they would save some: 200,000 tonnes of air pollution or gas emissions; 81 million litres of fuel; 1 billion kilometers of mileage on our highways and streets; and, the daily gridlock value of over 1 million cars and other forms of transport. As a side-benefit, Canadians would save $34 million in fuel costs, and some 50 million hours of time, which they could spend with their families, or on their non-work lives.

On the regional front, Ottawa-Carleton has Canada’s highest per capita concentration of computer owners and internet users. With our significant high tech and government population, we also have the highest per capita concentration of knowledge and computer workers. All of this translates to a high percentage of our workers with ‘teleworkable’ jobs. While many of them are now teleworking some of the time, we haven’t seen anything yet. As information technology grows in our region, there is an inevitable propensity for increases in telework, home businesses, tele-shopping, tele-education, tele-medicine etc.... all reducers of private and public transportation.

There are many other reasons for considering telework, such as helping further Canada’s goals in employment and youth, education, natural resources, industry and transport (the latter by building inexpensive connections to our homes rather than expensive concrete highways). Telework underscores Canada’s role in leading the development of information technology solutions. Furthermore, its proven ability to significantly reduce public and private-sector operating costs would help improve Canada’s economy and our level of global competitiveness. So, why spend on light rail when we could be capitalizing on all these benefits?

While the growth of telework is inevitable, it is going through some growing pains. What is unfortunate is that for every teleworker, there are many more ‘teleworkable’ jobs occupied by employees who wish to telework but are not permitted to. This is often due to managerial resistance at the work unit or organizational level-originating from such factors as inadequate information about telework, lack of time to examine its feasibility within their organizations, old-fashioned attitudes about work.

Because of the potential of telework for our region and for Canada, we urge decision makers to recognize and account for the growth of telework in making decisions that will be with us for the long-term. Please visit the Canadian Telework Association on the internet at www.ivc.ca.  Bob Fortier, Nepean.  President, Canadian Telework Association.