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
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)
99% of teleworkers have a PC.Teleworkers ask for 'financial recompense for wear and tear on own equipment (and home PC hard disk space) '.
95% use the telephone for business calls.Teleworkers ask for 'an additional phone line to work online and talk on the phone '.
Bibliography: Heathcote. P.M. (1998) Information Technology, Payne Gallway: Ipswich Http: 1, Teleworking Today, Available online at http://www.si-cbx.com/teleworking/twfacts.html. Date of download 10th of November 2002 Http: 2, Teleworking, Available online at http://www.teleworker.org/articles/teleworking.html. Date of Download 10th of November 2002 Http: 3, Teleworking in the UK, Available online at http://www.national.statistics.gov.uk/telworking.htm. Date of download 12th of November 2002 Johnson. M. (1997) Teleworking in Brief, Butterworth-Hienman, Kent Lynch .F. (1999), Information Analysis, AT Foulks Ltd, Middlesex Zabar.D.J. (2002), Teleworking and Telecommuting, Made Ez Products, Reading.