Teleworking

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The term telework encompasses forms of work in which employees perform their work completely or partially outside the employer's premises. It is often of mobile work or mobile working spoken.

In the home office (also home office ), this work takes place at home. The work results are often transmitted to the employer via digital channels.

Forms of telework

A distinction is usually made between different forms of teleworking:

  • When teleworking (often referred to as Home Office called) the employee carries out all the work as homework in his own apartment ( office ). There is no workplace on the company's premises.
  • Alternating telework is the predominant variant of telework. Here you work alternately at home and in the company . The company makes a workstation available to several people for their work, which they then use at different and mutually agreed times.
  • The Mobile telework is mainly practiced by representatives, account managers and similar professionals. The activity at changing work locations (e.g. in the customer's apartment) and The focus may be on remote access to the company's internal IT infrastructure.

particularities

In some cases, the following are also listed:

  • As on-site teleworking will work within the building and infrastructure referred to a foreign company. This form of work is practiced by external consultants, for example.
  • When working in telecenters , employees work in so-called telecenters, which are often located near residential areas. In these telecenters the infrastructure necessary for the work (especially fast network connections, fax etc.) is provided, whereby the costs are borne jointly by different employers.
  • Televillages are housing developments where teleworking is concentrated. The aim of a 1994–1995 project in Bruck an der Leitha , Austria , was to examine the framework and requirements for setting up a teleworking center in a planned housing estate. The report became known and received a lot of attention under the title Bruck an derleitung; The implementation of the originally very ambitious project ended on a smaller scale in the establishment and operation of a tele-club.
  • The neighborhood office is a form of teleworking in which employees from different employers sit in one office. The fact that employees share office equipment and work equipment means that individual employers save costs.

One of the early experiments with teleworking was the activities of a major Swiss bank (the then SKA). In 1989 it employed around 65 people in six so-called “work centers” in Lausanne, Lugano, Basel, Lucerne, Winterthur and Zug. The results of the trial after four years in terms of productivity were positive.

General

Agreements on work goals, deadlines, etc. are made with the employer, the work team or both.

Teleworking is regulated either by employment contract or by works agreements, less often in industry or company collective agreements, in other European countries more often by law. More than other forms of work, telework not only requires regulation under labor law, but also affects property, data protection, liability, etc. issues that cannot always be resolved within the framework of the employment contract, the works council or the collective bargaining parties.

Computer manufacturers, software developers and telecommunications providers are regarded as pioneers in teleworking.

The main drivers of this development are high office rents such as B. in London, high commuting costs or times as in the London area or in Swiss mountain valleys, occasionally also political attempts to counteract the depopulation and the job shortage in rural sparsely populated regions. For this purpose z. Some of the existing school, administration buildings etc. in the countryside have also been converted ( Telecenter , see below).

conditions

Teleworking places different demands on everyone involved. A suitable workplace with infrastructure must be available. The aspects of data protection , data security , occupational health and safety as well as insurance-related problems arising from the various legal provisions must also be taken into account. There is no comprehensive legal framework.

In order to save costs, employers sometimes impose restrictions on the equipment of the workplace on teleworkers, for example not having an individual office, possibly also with alternating teleworking. A proportion of teleworking within the workforce requires, similar to flexible working hours, special precautions in order to participate in meetings , such as an assurance of the presence of the employees, their connection through video conference technology or their subsequent information through protocols.

Existing political targets as well as spatial, cultural and legal framework conditions have a major influence on the spread and effects of telework. In the most densely populated areas of the Netherlands , for example, many companies are introducing teleworking and flexible working time models to save employees long travel times and loss of time due to traffic jams at peak times. Teleworking is promoted politically, but has not yet been used specifically as a political measure to reduce transport demand .

Since January 1, 2016, employees in the Netherlands have a legal right to telecommute under certain conditions.

Motivation and implications for employers

When it comes to teleworking, the company has the advantage that it has to provide less office space and saves travel and night service costs. In addition, employers and clients can use the skills of their employees in situations in which they are actually not available for private reasons. Childcare or the care of relatives can thus be combined with teleworking for employees, for example. In addition, the ability to telecommute is viewed positively by many workers and can improve the reputation of an employer. In addition, there is an increase in employee motivation and work effectiveness.

For employers, teleworking is a constant challenge for assigning tasks and assignments and providing the necessary information. In this respect, the employer is first called upon to focus on features of concurrent support and cooperative control and not to exhaust himself in control fantasies. This type of employment relationship requires a high level of trust in the contractor or employee, as the control and monitoring options are limited by the employee's rights of freedom and are completely different from those of a job with the employer on site. He must be positive about results-oriented work and be able to do without the traditional control functions in favor of greater trust in his employees. Management by Objectives is the only viable management concept for teleworking . The principle of target agreement is of the greatest importance. (See also: Trust working hours .)

In addition, the employment contracts for telecommuting are often more extensive and complex. Because with these also special questions from:

  • Data security,
  • Privacy,
  • Reachability,
  • property
  • as well as liability law

clarified, which are to be regulated differently in this form than in normal employment contracts.

Motivation and implications for employees

Many workers cite the advantages of teleworking:

  • easier connection of work and family
  • open time-management
  • better ways to use creative phases
  • saved commute
  • Independence from weather conditions
  • higher personal responsibility and motivation
  • undisturbed work opportunity

Teleworking from home is mainly popular with young parents, as it makes it easier for them to return to work . The work can be distributed, but children can still be looked after. For employed women, the motivation to telework is often the hope of a better work-life balance ; There is a predominant desire among men to avoid long journeys or for a quiet working atmosphere, with better concentration or less distraction , as there are no disturbances from colleagues. Alternating teleworkers in salaried employment usually find teleworking to be family-friendly and beneficial because it enables them to adapt to their own rhythm.

As a result of teleworking, teleworking for men often results in an increase in free time for sports and leisure activities . Some studies have shown that women with children often have a double burden of work and family; Other studies also suggest a more cooperative division of labor among telecommuters. Men also seem to be able to improve their relationships with their children by working at home .

In addition to these advantages, teleworking also brings with it various burdens and dangers. Employees see the following aspects as disadvantages:

  • Risk of social isolation
  • difficult flow of information without direct contact
  • reduced informal information
  • Bogus self-employment
  • Difficulty separating work and private life

Telework can be associated in particular with deficiencies in occupational safety, stresses on the family, the loss of the social and work environment or certain rights. Teleworkers must be willing to communicate more closely with the rest of the parties involved and have the necessary self-discipline to complete any work on schedule. The threat of self-exploitation and loneliness of teleworkers are often mentioned , which must be taken into account through appropriate measures.

A spatial mix of professional and family activities is often counteracted by having their own office , although this mainly applies to teleworkers who earn better salaries. If necessary, rules on access to the study are agreed within the family.

A temporal mix-up can occur if, for example, the professional commitment is postponed until the evening. A shift in paid working hours to the early morning, late evening and weekend can be observed, especially with mothers, with no rest periods. Teleworking brings with it the risk of covert overtime and can encourage job addiction. The mixing of family and professional concerns is seen by the teleworkers themselves in some cases as positive.

According to a judgment of the Federal Social Court (BSG) on July 5, 2016 (AZ: B2U 2 / 15R), an employee who works from home in a separate teleworking room in his apartment and falls on the way to the kitchen does not qualify for an accident at work .

facts and figures

While in other European countries up to a third of employees regularly work from home, in Germany the figure is around 15 percent. This puts Germany in the middle of a European comparison. According to a survey from 2009, German employees prefer teleworking and home office. According to this, over 40 percent would like to have a telecommuter workplace on a daily basis. Around 20 percent would like to work from home all the time.

Contrary to popular belief, teleworking is largely a male domain. According to a survey from 2000, the proportion of women doing telecommuting is 34%; in the case of alternating home work, the gender share is balanced. In addition, in a domestic community, men tend to use the flexibility they have gained more individually, whereas women tend to use it more as a family.

According to the results of a study by the network office Success Factor Family , managers in half of the companies surveyed work full-time part-time in combination with teleworking. This is particularly true of alternate and middle-tier managers, and they tend to practice this model for a limited period of time.

However, according to a representative survey of 1,500 managing directors and HR managers, the classic office workplace with compulsory attendance is likely to lose its importance. Almost every third company (30 percent) stated that the home office is becoming more important. Only 4 percent expect it to lose importance. According to a study by the digital association Bitkom from autumn 2016, 30 percent of companies in Germany offer telecommuting. Accordingly, the proportion increased by 10 percentage points compared to a previous study. In 2014, 20 percent of the companies surveyed stated that they allow their employees to work from home.

The advantages and disadvantages of this working time model are still controversial in many areas of working life. According to a study from 2006, 76% of employees said they were more productive by teleworking than in the office, only 61% of employers are convinced of the higher productivity. It is often criticized that studies aiming to determine the effects of teleworking on productivity are based on subjective surveys - i.e. employees' self-assessments. It is scientifically difficult to objectively measure a change in productivity, since Hawthorne effects play a role in obvious measurements and can thus influence the result. In a randomized study in a Chinese call center, in which the participants were not aware that they were taking part in a study, however, increases in productivity were objectively recorded. Participants in the study were also reported sick less often.

In a European comparison, Great Britain, Switzerland, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands were pioneers in teleworking; it is only slowly gaining ground in southern Europe.

Trends

Since the financial crisis in 2008, there has been an increased concentration of employees in the headquarters of large companies, also to improve communication and to shorten excessive email writing and reading times. In Switzerland z. B. Roche (in Basel ), Sulzer (in Winterthur ) and Allianz Suisse (in Wallisellen near Zurich ) a larger part of their workforce in the company headquarters. The technology group Apple , on the other hand, offers a complete “work from home” program. Both the interviews and the work itself take place entirely from home and the corporate headquarters of the group does not have to be physically entered at any time.

Home office due to the COVID-19 pandemic

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic , many employers initially gave their employees the option to work from home. Employers later recommended that employees work from home. After schools and childcare facilities were closed, many parents had no choice but to stay at home to look after the children. Some employers order their employees to work from home.

However, few companies are prepared for teleworking, and certainly not for a complete changeover for the entire workforce. In addition, many do not have a suitable office space in their apartment or the necessary infrastructure: ergonomic office furnishings, workstation computers with collaboration software and an Internet connection with sufficient data transfer rates. Many have no experience in organizing the necessary separation between work, child care, household and partnership. Another problem is the lack of social contacts .

In April 2020, Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil announced to Bild am Sonntag that it would present a law for the right to work from home.

According to urban researcher Thomas Krüger, office space in city centers is being used less due to the expansion of mobile working, also as a result of the corona virus. The previous concentration of workplaces and retail functions ("the shops on the ground floor and the office space above" such as in downtown Hamburg ) will be called into question. Krüger saw this as a danger of decline and an opportunity for more diversity.
The insurance group Allianz SE wants to use the experience of working from home during the corona pandemic to make major changes to work processes. Christof Mascher , COO of Allianz SE, considers home worker quotas of 40% or more to be permanently conceivable.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Hans-Jürgen Weißbach, Elmar Witzgall, Robert Vierthaler, field work and new technologies , Opladen 1990
  2. ↑ https://www.zsi.at/object/project/816 Accessed September 21, 2011
  3. ^ Description of the forms of telework on the website of the University of Linz
  4. ↑ M. Seris: Telework using the example of the work center for computer scientists at the Swiss credit institution. In: Telework - Utopia or an opportunity to relax the labor markets? Tages-Anzeiger Zürich 1989, quoted from: Najib Harabi u. a .: The diffusion of telework - Where does Switzerland stand today in an international comparison? Results of an empirical study. (PDF; 2.0 MB) August 2001, accessed February 15, 2008 .
  5. ↑ Survey on telework ( Memento from February 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
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  9. ↑ Bettina Maus, Gabriele Winker: Flexible gender arrangements for teleworkers , p. 19
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  11. ^ Margrethe H. Olson, Sophia B. Primps: Working at home with computers - Work and non-work issues. In: Journal of Social Issues. Malden 40.1984,97-112, p. 108. ISSN  0022-4537 Quoted from: Bettina Maus, Gabriele Winker: Movable gender arrangements for teleworkers , p. 19.
  12. ↑ Manfred Garhammer: Flexible working hours - family-friendly working hours? What does "flexible" mean? The “Bamberg Study”. In: André Habisch (Ed.): Family-oriented corporate strategy. Contributions to a future-oriented program. Munich 1995, 67-88, p. 76ff. Quoted from: Bettina Maus, Gabriele Winker: Flexible gender arrangements for teleworkers , p. 19.
  13. ^ Margrethe H. Olson, Sophia B. Primps: Working at home with computers - Work and non-work issues. In: Journal of Social Issues , Malden 40.1984, 97-112, p. 108. ISSN  0022-4537 Quoted from: Bettina Maus, Gabriele Winker: Movable gender arrangements for tele-workers , p. 22.
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  17. ↑ Sherry Boland Ahrentzen: Managing conflict by managing boundaries. How professional homeworkers cope with multiple roles at home . In: Environment and Behavior , Thousand Oaks 22.1990, 723–752, p. 741, quoted from: Bettina Maus, Gabriele Winker: Movable gender arrangements for tele-workers , p. 20.
  18. ↑ Monika Goldmann, Gudrun Richter: Career and family, finally compatible? Telecommuting by women. An investigation into the outsourcing of computer-assisted workplaces to private homes . Dortmund 1991, p. 118ff., Quoted from: Bettina Maus, Gabriele Winker: Movable gender arrangements for tele-workers , p. 20.
  19. ↑ Sherry Boland Ahrentzen: Managing conflict by managing boundaries. How professional homeworkers cope with multiple roles at home . In: Environment and Behavior. Thousand Oaks 22.1990, 723–752, p. 738, quoted from: Bettina Maus, Gabriele Winker: Movable gender arrangements for tele workers , p. 21.
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  21. ↑ Report in Deutschlandfunk on 2019-03-05
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  23. ^ FAZ of March 12, 2015
  24. ↑ Bitkom study "Digitization offers opportunities for flexible working" ( Memento from May 20, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  25. ↑ Bitkom study Every third company offers work in the home office
  26. ↑ Computerwoche 6/2006 ( Memento from August 6, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
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  32. ↑ ARD morning magazine: Tips for working in the home office (March 17, 2020)
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