What is telework?
Telework, often referred to as telecommuting, occurs where paid workers work away from their normal place of work, usually from home. Such workers can telework all their work time, or on an occasional or ad-hoc basis. Most telework takes place a day or two per week. (Click here for a more detailed definition).

Organizations that have the greatest success with telework tend to integrate telework so that it fits within their existing legal, financial, administrative, human resources etc. infrastructure. They ensure that telework is voluntary, subject to management discretion, operationally feasible and results in no additional costs (unless they can be recouped).

Telework can save millions while helping to balance busy lifestyles, while reducing job related stress. As you will read further on, companies that have embraced telework achieve significant financial and other benefits.

Telework organizations take full advantage of new technologies and new ways of working to focus on the work performed rather than on the location where it is performed.  They discover first hand how it increases productivity while reducing accommodation costs, layoffs and absenteeism (of all types including during disruption due to strikes floods, snow or ice storms etc).

As the information revolution reshapes our corporate and personal lives, moving us closer to a global society, telework also represents a major step towards working anywhere, anytime. As one of the key workplace transformers of the next decade, there is little doubt that it will inevitably and dramatically reshape how work is carried out in Canada and throughout the world.

Advantages and disadvantages of telework
Countless public and private-sector studies and evaluations demonstrate that telework improves employee lifestyles, organizational bottom lines and recruitment and retention capabilities. The benefits don't stop there, as telework helps to reduce energy consumption, transportation woes, pollution, and the need to downsize; while improving global competition, job creation, and  work/personal/family balance.

In a sense, telework is the organizational equivalent of the Swiss Army Knife™ -- it is a multi-purpose tool that can accomplish many useful and productive things. But as with the Swiss Army Knife™,  the results can be negative if improperly used. Here is a summary of the pros and the cons: