InnoVisions Canada - Stats, facts, studies, in other countries


Stats, facts, studies: other countries (also, see "Canadian, US, European and other country studies)
	Australia: State Chamber of Commerce (NSW), in partnership with Unisys, released Getting a Grip on I.T. study. Includes these findings on telecommuting Survey of New South Wales businesses showed that 23% have employees that regularly telework work from home or on the road via remote links 24% said staff did this occasionally 16% of non-metropolitan businesses say main telework impediment is insufficient access to IT infrastructure. Main benefits of regular telework 32% say higher productivity 21% say better customer service 15% say better staff retention 7% say lower office, travel & parking costs 27% say reintegration following injury, illness or were returning from parental leave. Downsides 40% - telework away from the office was in addition to standard hours (day extenders) 51% -lack of interpersonal contact 13% - higher IT and communication costs 7% - poorer customer service 6% - lower productivity Future potential 34% say their staff could telework but don�t 35% say too difficult to monitor staff 14% say insufficient access to IT 10% say had simply not considered it (pdf version of study can be found here)
	FLEXIBLE working arrangements are on the rise in Singapore 2004 Conditions of Employment survey (Ministry of Manpower) shows more employees on flexible working arrangements. 4.1% of private-sector employees on such schedules; and 88% part-time work. Flexi-time, teleworking and working from home were much less common. See details here
	Australia can reap the benefits of telecommuting Some 2.8 million Australians are mobile workers and this will increase to 3.4 million by 2008, according to IDC's recent report "Australia Telecommuting Services and Equipment 2004-2008 Forecast & Analysis. In the past, the business case for telecommuting has been focused on soft benefits for the employee (eg life/work balance, increased employee satisfaction and cost cutting benefits for the employer, such as reduced overhead costs, and office/parking space savings). While valid, reduced pollution and traffic congestion in overpopulated cities, and transportation savings for the employee and the city have emerged as harder benefits associated with increased telecommuting. Other important advantages for the enterprise include productivity gains and business continuity. "Business continuity has emerged as a strong driver for corporations to set-up a flexible working system in place. Ubiquity of the network and the possibility to work from anywhere at anytime becomes a reality when employees have the tools for remote working," said Susana Vidal, IDC Telecommunications Analyst. IDC recommends the following to service providers, equipment vendors and the local and federal government to accelerate telecommuting adoption: * SIMPLIFY - Service providers should package their remote working solutions under a single bill that includes all the services that are needed for teleworking. These solutions should include high-speed broadband, mobile data when on-the-go, access to corporate network, IP telephony and access to other corporate applications. * EDUCATE - All involved parties, especially government and service providers should educate their constituencies about the benefits of telecommuting. In order to do this further, and more up-to-date research may be necessary, since the technology advances has changed the telecommuting picture dramatically in the last couple of years. * GIVE INCENTIVES - Local governments should give some kind of incentives, such as subsidies or tax benefits, to employers and employees that telecommute, in order to accelerate telecommuting adoption. * CREATE PARTNERSHIPS - Service providers and equipment vendors should partner in order to offer telecommuters a complete remote working solution that includes all the necessary hardware and services necessary to work from home or on-the-go.
	Malaysia: Recent survey finds that men and women relate differently when it comes to teleworking. For example, men who telework take on more household chores and are more actively involved in their children�s lives as a result of working from home
	Australia: Business Council of Australia survey Companies offering: flexible working hours (93%); job sharing (88%); paid maternity leave (74%); paid paternity leave (53%); telework (88%)
	Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics' Labour Force Survey (2000-2001) About 480,000 employees work at home at least some of their working life through "an agreement with their employer".