Telework Media 9

As my colleague and InnoVisions Canada consultant Bernard Brodie points out, Canada's two million work-at-homers (half are teleworkers) prevent millions of kilograms of emissions from entering the atmosphere every year. The result is improved air quality and reduced pollution -- all great for environmental and personal health.

For example, Brodie says, increasing numbers of work-at-homers can help reduce worrying increases in child asthma cases.

And, he adds, by reducing travel on our increasingly confrontational highways, work-at-homers help reduce traffic accidents, including those brought on by road rage.

On the whole, work-at-homers feel healthier and take less sick leave than their at-office counterparts, partially attributable to breathing better quality home-office air (no sick-building syndrome here), as well as spending less time with co-workers with colds and other communicable illnesses.

"Working at home also reduces stress," said Brodie noting a 1999 Southam-Compas poll, showing 60% of respondents in their 30's and 40's cited long working hours as the major cause of family stress.

"Teleworkers) help reduce traffic accidents,
including those brought on by 'road rage"
-- Bernard Brodie

He said busy Canadians can recoup an average hour a day by eliminating their daily commute (that's up to six full workweeks each year). Telework is also a proven reducer of stress caused by work and personal life imbalance -- one of today's major stressers. Not having to deal with the daily commute, or to sit fuming in gridlocked traffic also helps reduce stress. There's also that relaxing mental and physical comfort that comes from custom-fitting your home office heating, cooling, lighting and humidity.

Lastly Brodie, himself a teleworking expert, says greater numbers of people working at home can save governments millions in transportation infrastructure costs, which they can re-allocate to health and social areas.

But there are potential downsides, he warns. At the societal level, with improved technology, higher bandwidths, and increased computer use, people will inevitably and gradually use computers more and more. The result, he says, is a corresponding propensity for significantly less face-to-face interaction.

There's also the fitness factor: Work-at-homers need to guard against poor dietary or fitness habits -- a.k.a. the "fridge factor" or the "desk-potato" syndrome. For some, a home office can lead to workaholism or "on-line obsession" -- the inability to turn off and take time for life. Another common concern is isolation: Work-at-homers need to respect that human beings are social animals.

The good news is that most of the health plusses of telework flow from work- at-home itself, while most of the minuses flow from improper behaviour or erroneous personal actions that can be corrected and controlled. So what can we do about it? Here's Brodie's checklist:

Governments can recognize the positive potential of telework and encourage it by considering tax and other incentives for Canadian organizations that introduce telework policies.
Organizations can implement telework programs and ensure that potential teleworkers receive proper training on issues such as home-office ergonomics, preventing repetitive stress injuries, workaholism, isolation, and improving fitness.
Work-at-homers can control workaholism by turning off their machines at a specific time everyday and focus on their non-work lives.
Managed with intelligence and imagination, work at home and telework are win-win situations for governments, organizations and workers alike.

Bob Fortier is president of InnoVisions Canada (a telework consulting firm) and the Canadian Telework Association. He also sits on the board of the International Telework Association. He can be reached at bobf@ivc.ca Visit his website at www.ivc.ca.

The Sun Media Newspaper Chain - July 14/99
Ten sure signs your company needs telework
by Bob Fortier

The right stuff for telework! Ten ways to tell if your company has it. Most of Canada's one million teleworkers telework informally under private agreements with their boss. But companies only reap the maximum benefit from telework when they decide on a more formal program.

A well-designed telework program is always cost-beneficial, but only to organizations that are ready. Your organization may be one of them if you fit any of these criteria:

If your growing "information" worker population increasingly relies on computers. This means that some or all of their jobs can likely be carried out remotely.
If you already have some informal teleworkers, but have concerns about legal, security, IT and labour risks and costs.
If you have recruitment or retention problems, consider typical findings from EKOS Research: Thirty-three percent of Canadians would choose telework over a salary raise and 43% would quit their jobs for another job that allows telework. Telework is fast becoming a make-or-break in employee career decisions.
If you want to improve the work environment for those already on staff. You may be ready for telework if your managers tend to trust the integrity and professionalism of their employees, and who measure performance by results. Telework cannot succeed in "command and control" outfits where performance is judged on more on presence than results.
If morale needs boosting. Telework is a morale builder. Resisting it, especially when your competitors offer it to their staff, damages morale.
If office space is tight. Telework can save big bucks and reduce the office-space crunch. On their own, new officing strategies such as office sharing and "hoteling" can provoke resistance. But add telework, and employees will readily trade off their personal offices: Witness the 74% of federal teleworkers surveyed who said they would gladly share their offices if permitted to telework. Your organization could save one office for every three part-time teleworkers (about $2,000 per teleworker per year, or $200,000 per 100 teleworkers).
If relocation costs need trimming. Why move people when you can move their work? Telework and some business travel are a much cheaper combination than relocating staff and/or replacing those that quit rather than move.
If productivity needs boosting. Many reputable studies have proven that teleworking two to three days per week easily increases overall employee productivity by 10 to 20% -- a great way to trim overtime and related costs. Doing the math, five to 10 teleworkers equates to one "free" extra worker. This demolishes the myth that teleworkers will goof off because they are "out of sight."
If the work/life balance of your staff needs attention. Work and home life conflict is currently the top identified Canadian job-dissatisfier. Telework's fewer interruptions and improved productivity help employees catch up on their work; and reduce their stress, burnout risk, going-to-work costs and commuting time. Remember that the total yearly commute of average Canadian workers equates to six to eight full workweeks.
If staff absenteeism needs pruning. The average Canadian misses over 10 days a year. Telework can help reduce absenteeism due to illness, childcare, eldercare, needing to be home to meet tradespeople etc. In such cases, teleworkers can perform at least some of their normal work -- thus avoiding losing an entire workday. Telework also mitigates absenteeism and business disruption during strikes, floods, bad weather and other emergencies.

If you've read this far and think your company is ready to go further, tune in next month. We'll look at how to start a telework program in your company. In the meantime, contact me if your company wishes to learn more about the feasibility and cost-benefits of telework.