toolkit
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Telework Guidance
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With more employees than ever before working flexibly away from the traditional office environment through the use of modern technology, new guidance has been launched to guide employers on their responsibilities.
Today at least 2.2 million work away from office using IT, and the number is increasing. An estimated 400,000 new people every year will work flexibly because of new rights introduced by the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI). This number has increased by 65% in the last four years.
The new guidance on teleworking has been produced jointly by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the Trades Union Council (TUC) and CEEP UK - a group which represents public sector employers. The guidance has been agreed at European level as part of the Social Dialogue process.
The guidance document covers the following issues:
? Health and safety, including ensuring all electrical equipment complies with safety regulations and a risk assessment of work is carried out;
? Allowances, taxation and expenses eg: to allow claims to attend team meetings or travel to the office;
? Human resources, such as recruitment, training and career progression;
? Personal support, to ensure employees do not become isolated
. Information security.
More flexible ways of working can bring many benefits to employers and employees. It can increase opportunities for those with families or who have long journeys to work. It can ease pressure on infrastructure, facilitate regional development and help employees improve the balance between work and home life. For business these new ways of working can offer new business opportunities, improve productivity and maintain competitiveness.
The Modern Age
Welcoming the new agreement, Employment Relations Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said: "Modern information and communication technologies are changing the way UK business works. Telework, using technology to work away from the traditional office environment, has the potential to bring a wide range of benefits to both employers and employees and it is important that these benefits are realised and exploited fully."
The new guidance sets out legal requirements and examples of best practice and aims to help business and employees consider all related issues and how flexible working can best be implemented in their organisation. The full document can be downloaded from the DTI here.
Charles Nolda, Executive Director of the Employers' Organisation for local government (EO) and CEEP UK's representative said: "Having been part of the European negotiating team for this agreement, CEEP UK welcomed the framework agreement reached in 2002. We believe that this agreement provides a good example of social partners at European level addressing common challenges and reaching agreements that are flexible enough to be implemented at a national level. We can rightly be proud of the constructive way in which this guidance has been drafted and to be amongst the first countries to implement this European accord. It will provide a useful tool for organisations considering developing their teleworking practices."
Since 6 April 2003 parents of children under 6, and parents with disabled children under 18, have the legal right to get their employer to consider flexible ways of working. New mothers can now take 6 months paid maternity leave, with another 6 months unpaid if they want it, and new fathers get 2 weeks paid paternity leave for the first time.
Facts and Figures
The number of teleworkers increased dramatically between spring 1997 and spring 2001; by 65%.
In Spring 2001:
- 2.2. million teleworkers (7.4 per cent of all in employment) in the UK in Spring 2001
- About three quarters of all UK teleworkers worked in the private sector
- Around 25% of teleworkers worked in real estate, renting and business
- About two-thirds of teleworkers were men - this compares to just over half for all employees. The difference can largely be explained by the fact that a high proportion of teleworkers are self-employed and most self-employed workers are men.
- Most teleworkers were either professionals and senior managers or officials.
International comparisons show that teleworking in the UK is just above the average for the ten EU countries covered in a recent survey (2000). Germany and France have the smallest proportion of employed people working as teleworkers while Finland has the highest. The UK is one of the first European Union countries to implement the joint teleworking agreement reached by the European social partners - UNICE, ETUC and CEEP - in July 2002.
Some UK local authorities have already garnered acclaim for their teleworking arrangements. East Riding of Yorkshire Council won national praise at the end of 2002, after its' previously failing benefits service was made 'Benefits Team of the Year', by the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation during their national conference. The East Riding Council Revenues Service undertook a significant review after being classified as a 'failing' service, after which a number of new initiatives were introduced. Among these innovations was the introduction of homeworking and a policy enabling staff to work from bases closer to their homes.
Retention
Both of these policies have proven to be successful in tackling the council's major challenges of retaining skilled and motivated staff. These significant changes have all led to performance in terms of assessing benefit claims improving significantly. As an example of the results of this policy during 2000 it took on average 103 working days to assess a new benefit claim. By the end of 2002 it was taking just 26 days - ten days less than the national standard for council's set by Government.
Retention of staff at East Riding has also greatly improved, from a 35% annual turnover to just over 8% - for the team in 2001/02.
"In just two years the council's service to benefits customers has been transformed from a failing service to one which is now held up as a model by other local authorities and government agencies." said Darryl Stephenson, Chief Executive of East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
"This is a wonderful achievement, a great deal of hard work has been put in by staff right across the Council to win this award," said Ray Ward, Head of Revenues Services at the Council. Full Details of the award winning East Riding of Yorkshire Council teleworking project can be downloaded here.
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