Working_Anwhere 7/5/02 3:00 PM Page a SECOND EDITION Working Anywhere Exploring telework for individuals and organisations Working_Anwhere 7/5/02 3:00 PM Page b Working_Anwhere 7/5/02 3:00 PM Page 1 Working Anywhere Exploring telework for individuals and organisations Working_Anwhere 7/5/02 3:00 PM Page 2 2 WORKING ANYWHERE Foreword Since 1998,when this booklet was first published,most of us have become more familiar with working electronically:communicating by voice,video,text and graphics to anywhere in the world,from both fixed and mobile locations. Many businesses,as well as Government,are already embracing the opportunities from this way of working.This booklet sets out the benefits from being able to work anywhere- whether you are an employer,an employee or self-employed. As more companies adopt teleworking,they have successfully addressed managers’concerns about managing at a distance.They have implemented strategies to ensure distance workers are not isolated from colleagues,so that everybody benefits from the new arrangements. Indeed,many companies - and individuals too - have found that a mixture of distance working and traditional workplace-based employment is the ideal rather than a compromise way of working. A word that appears a number of times in this booklet is ‘trust’. An organisation with clear objectives that trusts and encourages its employees to work together to meet these objectives should have no fear of adopting ‘working anywhere’practices. A culture of sharing information and knowledge also creates the right atmosphere for people to work together,while apart. Indeed for companies to operate in a knowledge driven economy,their competence in fostering knowledge sharing should be regarded as a critical factor in their success. Working_Anwhere 7/5/02 3:01 PM Page 3 WORKING ANYWHERE 3 Teleworking is really about exploring new and imaginative ways of getting the job done in a way which benefits both the organisation and the individual. Successful businesses depend on good people.They recognise that the ability and skills of Patricia Hewitt the people who work for them are their most Minister for Small Business and E-commerce valuable resource. At the same time,everyone has a life outside of work.We may have children to look after,or other caring responsibilities,or simply want time to pursue other interests. Finding ways to link individual employees’needs to business needs makes sense to both.That is very much the message of the Government’s Work-Life Balance Campaign which Alan Johnson Minister for Competitiveness is raising awareness of the business benefits of work- life policies and sharing best practice. Teleworking can help to reduce the amount of travel undertaken by people both to work and in the course of work,and can be promoted as part of a wider package of measures through a travel plan. Reductions in business mileage,for example through Lord Macdonald video-conferencing and audio-conferencing,can lead Minister for Transport to real cost and time-savings.Working from home,or from nearby telecentres,is also likely to reduce the impact of travel on the environment,provided this is not offset by increases in non-work travel. We believe that exploring the benefits of different ways of working should be on the agenda of every Margaret Hodge company.This booklet introduces various aspects of Minister for Employment telework to let you see the bigger picture and how you and Equal Opportunities can be part of it.We hope it makes a difference to you. Working_Anwhere 7/5/02 3:01 PM Page 4 4 WORKING ANYWHERE Contents (cid:2) Working Anywhere 5 If you are a chief executive or strategic planner 9 If you are an operational manager 12 If you are an employee 14 If you are self-employed 18 Off to a good start 20 (cid:2) Inside Information Training and development 23 Employment rights and conditions 24 Health and safety 26 Taxation and Business Rates 27 Data protection and security 28 Premises and facilities 29 Some terms explained 30 (cid:2) Further Information and Advice Useful contacts 30 Books and publications 32 Web sites 34 (cid:3) Telework: the statistics 35 (cid:3) Acknowledgements 36 Working_Anwhere 7/5/02 3:01 PM Page 5 WORKING ANYWHERE 5 Working Anywhere Most of us are already used to working in a variety As technology develops, so the practical possibilities of ways; few of us spend all our working time just sitting increase. Electronic mail is now in widespread use. at one desk or in one building or just travelling from The phenomenal growth of the Internet shows just how customer to customer or meeting to meeting. powerful this international network of linked computers Work is no longer dependent on geography. People can be, whilst Internet standards are also being used by can communicate and exchange information even though companies internally for their own computer networks. they are miles apart. Information - the lifeblood of any There are new, low-cost ways to undertake business - can now be passed effortlessly around the videoconferencing and data-conferencing from ordinary country, and indeed around the world. It makes no desktop computers. Portable laptops and palm-sized difference what form that information is in: computer files personal digital assistants are increasingly being linked to and data, voice conversations, pictures and moving cellular phone networks. The next step forward in mobile images, other emerging types of multi-media, all these can telecommunication, which will open up the possibilities be converted to electronic signals and sent through for fast data communication, is just around the corner. telecommunications channels. Meanwhile, increased competition in telecommunications A large element of the value added by any business, is bringing down costs. even if it is engaged in manufacturing physical articles, It is not just in work location, but also in work time comes from the processing and management of that there are new possibilities for flexibility. information. This means that some aspects at least of its Communications networks are available round-the-clock, operation can now be done independent of geographical so information can be accessed and work undertaken location. In the world of digital communications, you at the times of day which suit the individual and his or need never be in the wrong place to do your work. her employer. There are possibilities for undertaking You can access the information you need anywhere - work internationally, by taking advantage of time zone from a remote satellite office or local business centre, differences. Already, for example, some out-of-hours from a client’s premises, from home, from a hotel room telephone calls by customers of US businesses are or whilst on the move in a train or car. routed automatically to the UK, to be answered here This way of working has come to be known as during the day. teleworking. Confusingly, definitions of telework can All these changes create important issues for both vary very widely but most people now use the term for companies and individuals. If there is no longer the any form of working which meets the twin criteria same necessity to work in centralised buildings during of being undertaken at a distance from the conventional set times, we have a new freedom to look at a rather workplace, and being made possible by the use of more important aspect of work organisation, the people, information and communications technologies. and how to ensure that their skills and potential are This broader perspective is also the one which this properly maximised. booklet will take. Statistics for the number of people teleworking in the UK can be found on page 35. Working_Anwhere 7/5/02 3:01 PM Page 6 6 WORKING ANYWHERE Lasair Ltd Developing these new ways of working is likely to Kathleen Turneris a director of well developed - the Highlands mean changing the way organisations are structured and Lasair Ltd,a small company based and Islands of Scotland are more management is undertaken. It means relying less on on the Hebridean island of advanced in some ways than traditional ‘command and control’ supervision techniques Benbecula.She has exploited the some southern mainland UK - rather difficult to maintain, if your employees are now possibilities of technology to regions - and we can undertake in different parts of the country, miles away. It means develop a successful business just anything these days. developing new collaborative forms of working, based undertaking editing,abstracting and The Western Isles also has a on mutual trust and an emphasis on enablement and database compilation work.Lasair higher percentage of graduates empowerment. makes use of a regular pool of per capita than anywhere else Teleworking may also have a valuable role to contribute about 30-40 highly skilled people in the country,so we’ve found it in reducing the amount of travel that individuals need throughout the Western Isles quite an advantage to be here. to undertake for work. When teleworking substitutes who work from their own homes for high-mileage driving patterns, this can benefit both “I think we’ve proved ourselves. on a sub-contract basis. the individual (through more leisure time and less stress) For example,we have a contract Kathleen Turner herself works for and the employer (through reduced transport costs). with the Home Office Forensic much of the week from her home, Teleconferencing has clear benefits - with reductions in Science service to compile saving the necessity of a slow travel resulting in a more efficient use of work-time and their database records.The work journey along narrow roads to a reduced impact of business mileage on the was previously done in London, the office. environment. Providing reduction in travel to work is and it took several weeks to not replaced with other journeys made, for example Among Lasair’s current contracts turn the work around.We send from home during the working day (or by a more general are editing and pre-production it back in five days. shift from towns to the countryside), teleworking is likely work fora new edition of the “The mark-up work for the Grove to provide welcome benefits to the environment. classic reference work,the Grove Dictionary of Music is being Of course, teleworking does not constitute a job in Dictionary of Music. undertaken for a publisher in itself, only a method of working - individuals will still “Being located where we are Oxford by ten people on the need to have the expertise and skills to bring to their work. matters not at all.The telecom- island of Barra.Their work then However, it can mean more business opportunities for munications links are very comes to us at Lasair and we the enterprising small business person and the self-employed. Working_Anwhere 7/5/02 3:01 PM Page 7 WORKING ANYWHERE 7 (cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)yY(cid:0)yo(cid:0)yr(cid:0)yk(cid:0)y(cid:0)ysh(cid:0)y(cid:0)yir(cid:0)ye(cid:0)y (cid:0)yW(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)ya(cid:0)yte(cid:0)y(cid:0)yr(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y (cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y (cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y (cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y(cid:0)y Steve Mortimermanages a team of ten Yorkshire Water engineers,responsible for the network of reservoirs,treatment plants and water mains in a large area of the Yorkshire Dales. Until recently,his team gathered at the start of each day for their instructions at a depot near Masham.Now eight of the engineers can work out their day’s itinerary for themselves from home. Using laptops,they connect each morning perform a quality control role, checking for errors,before sending the work back to the publisher. “We are inday-to-daycommuni- cation with our contractors,mainly electronically.We run an e-mail conference,and as I receive information I put it out on to the to the company’s groupware system and Regional Telemetry System (RTS) which conference:it could be updates to the real-time database which remotely monitors our sites twenty-four hours a of software,or files which need to monitors the flow and quality of water day.I will look for any problems which are be sent out.It means that people through their area. occurring,and allocate priorities.Then I’ll for whom it’s relevant can pick log on to the groupware system and make “Prior to our use of computer laptops, it up immediately.We encourage some phone calls to team members. everyone had to come in here. people to check their e-mail The dissemination of information was “The arrangement showed its worth regularly throughout the day.” difficult,and the office was full of little notes. over Christmas 1997,when we had really “We are exploring new avenues catastrophic weather in the Dales. “Now people are empowered more. of innovation to provide the By 3am on Christmas Day trees were They are able to take responsibility for ultimate virtual service solution. down all over and sixteen of our sites their own workload and to take decisions were without mains power.It was quite We have recently started a service, for themselves.Previously,people came to a juggling act keeping a supply of potable ‘LiveGenie’to provide on-line me for things they should really have water.I set my laptop up in the dining interactive customer support decided themselves.When we initially room at home at midnight on Christmas services for busy web sites. introduced the laptops,I made a point of Eve and was plugged in to our RTS all ‘LiveGenie’enables our clients to staying at home and not coming in to the the time for the next twelve hours. transform the manner in which office for a few days,to get people out of The routine before would have been for buying,selling and customer support the habit of coming to me. everyone to come in to the office,in is conducted on their Internet sites.” “I begin a typical day at about 7am,when order to access the RTS information.” I log on from home to the company’s Working_Anwhere 7/5/02 3:01 PM Page 8 8 WORKING ANYWHERE Fulcrum Pharma PLC Jon Court is Chief Executive Officer to manage information in this of Fulcrum Pharma PLC,an distributed environment. independent virtual drug development “In practical terms the company could company which was recently floated be anywhere and strives to be on the Alternative Investment Market. geographically independent,though The company has expertise in the the office has to be close to a good design,execution and delivery of drug development programmes and international airport.People spend relies on state of the art information perhaps 30% of their time travelling, technology and infrastructure to and also frequently work from home. supply its services All of us can connect to the office from home and have docking stations for our “Drug development is very expensive, laptops both at home and in the office. and takes a long time - the industry Our PCs are equipped with modems, average is ten to twelve years.We aim so we can access the local area network to be more efficient and help our and the Internet from any location. customers get to the market quicker and therefore get more value from “We don’t have secretaries or assistants, their products. so we handle messages ourselves. “Together with our clients,we set the We use a personal number service strategy and then provide the virtual teams consisting of multiple which means that all calls and faxes leadership for Drug Development suppliers.The work is therefore done get connected to us wherever we are. Projects.Strategic outsourcing is a in difference companies,in different The system dials the home number, cornerstone of the business and we countries and different time zones. the mobile or diverts messages to the conduct our work through tailor made We use electronic communications voice box.”