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Telework and Telecommuting: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) European Telework Online provides dozens of FAQs - frequently asked questions (and answers) - about telework and related topics. In this page we have selected the main issues raised by teleworkers (telecommuters) and managers, and also some questions raised by policy makers, consultants and researchers. For the complete list of all FAQs - including those about e-commerce, telecommunications and other topics as well as telework and telecommuting please use the Resources Database . This free of charge service is made possible by our sponsors: In addition to these and other FAQs the European Telework Online Resources Database includes about 1,000 items relating to telework, including web sites, reports, books, articles, presentations and online discussion facilities. There is also an events calendar. If your question is not answered below, and you think it is of general interest, you can: Raise it in the European Telework Online Discussion Forum - join the forum by sending an email to teleworkforum-join@eto.org.uk. Important note: Please read the discussion Guidelines before you participate in the online discussion. or if it is a more personal question you can: Send your question to the European Telework Online site team - email eto-info@eto.org.uk. We cannot answer all personal queries but we will do our best to point you in the right direction! Note: Before you send your question please do look at the Site Contents and do a search to check whether the answer is already available. Here are the selected Telework FAQs If you find them useful please tell us! Here is the feedback form. (If you see something that needs correcting please tell us that too). You can also add your own comments about any of the FAQs, which will be helpful to other readers. A trade union Code of Practice for Telework The Trade Union Perspective Last reviewed 30 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource ADSL roll out status in European Union countries as at January 2000 Based on an assessment published by the European Commission. ADSL is now being deployed widely in Europe and is expected to significantly increase Internet use, and support further growth in teleworking, e-business etc. Last reviewed Add your own comments about this resource Are there any schemes to find work for teleworkers? Do they work? There are some locally focused programmes that work and a few wider schemes. This FAQ provides some examples and highlights some of the issues. Last reviewed 14 January 1999 Add your own comments about this resource Can Telework Reduce Traffic Congestion? A study from the Norwegian Institute for Transport Economics comes to a positive conclusion. This FAQ is based on an article in the UK Teleworker magazine, published by the TCA Last reviewed 30 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Finding work as a teleworker: tested and selected services European Telework Online has evaluated more than twenty online services for finding work and finding a job. This FAQ highlights the ones we have tested and selected as the best available. Last reviewed Add your own comments about this resource Getting paid to surf - does it work? European Telework Online reviews of "Get paid to surf" and "Get paid to read email" programmes, with recommendations. Last reviewed 29 January 2000 What others have said | Add your own comments about this resource How can I get help with PhD/Masters/other telework research ? The usual approach is to send out "yet another questionnaire"; this piece suggests alternative start points Last reviewed 27 October 1998 What others have said | Add your own comments about this resource How can I market, advertise and sell my services on the Internet as a teleworker? This FAQ proposes that the question isn't how to advertise telework but how to decide and then advertise the product or service you are selling. The FAQ recommends ways to decide matters such as "What is my product" and then how to build the opportunities for selling your skills. Last reviewed 27 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource How do I price my services (as a teleworker)? Deciding what to charge for your services is often difficult for a self-employed person. Charge too high and you will lose opportunities; too low and you either lose profit or perhaps even make customers suspicious that your low price may reflect low standards. This FAQ explains some basic principles and makes clear recommendations. Last reviewed 27 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource How many teleworkers? Presents the latest (1999) data from European Commission supported programmes, including teleworkers by country, teleworkers as % of workforce. Last reviewed 28 February 2000 What others have said | Add your own comments about this resource How to do business across networks (teletrade)? FAQ-How to do business across networks (teletrade)? Last reviewed 25 November 1998 Add your own comments about this resource How to find a teleworking job online This is the FAQ for those who would like to find regular employment "at a distance", rather than becoming self-employed. It considers what kinds of jobs are likely to be open to teleworking, for what kinds of people, with what kinds of companies, at what kinds of distances. It links with a cluster of FAQs covering many aspects of finding work as a teleworker. Last reviewed Add your own comments about this resource How to introduce Teleworking (in a University context) This FAQ has been contributed by Fraser McLeish (fml@gcal.ac.uk); it includes a useful checklist. The European Telework Online team has added some notes and a short commentary. Although Fraser has focused on a University environment, most of the messages here are equally relevant to all employers. Last reviewed 14 January 1999 Add your own comments about this resource I like the idea of doing business across the networks, how do I do it? Building a business "online" has some similarities to building a conventional business "offline", but also some differences. Last reviewed 27 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Is it possible to combine telework and on site work with caring for a family? A personal account by Ken Lunn. Last reviewed 27 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Is there a "right" psychological profile for teleworkers? This question often arises when companies are considering the adoption of a telework policy. The FAQ is based on research by Management Technology Associates and Brameur Limited. Last reviewed 30 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Is there a difference between "Teleworking" and "Homeworking"? The popular press, TV etc generally use the term "teleworker" to mean someone who works at home instead of commuting to an office. However "teleworking" can also include working at a local telecentre instead of commuting to a distant office Last reviewed 27 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource ISdAC: Isn't telework for people with disabilities simply a way for employers to This is a difficult question that has recently (June 1997) provoked considerable debate in the European Telework Online public online discussion list. This FAQ contains some considerations arising from that discussion. Last reviewed 31 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Online services for finding work and finding jobs: critical listings Online services for finding work have mushroomed - from very few at the end of 1998 to very many in 2000 and with new ones popping up every day. Is there any value in them? How do they work? Do they really offer a solution for teleworkers? This page reports the results of our investigations, with links and comments on more than twenty sites/services. Last reviewed Add your own comments about this resource Online services for finding work and finding jobs: what to look for and how to use them An overview of online services that help people to find jobs or work opportunities, with an emphasis on teleworking. Part of a cluster of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about finding work as a teleworker. Last reviewed Add your own comments about this resource Russia: How can I advertise my services across the networks? (in Russian) Discusses the ways you can use networks and information technologies to advertise your products and services. Last reviewed 21 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Russia: How Can I Get Work As A Teleworker? (in Russian) This page discusses the questions you will have to ask yourself, if you want to start working as a teleworker. (in Russian) Last reviewed 21 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Russia: I like the idea of "Doing Business across the Networks", how do I go about it? (in Russian) Discusses the issues related to Doing Business across the Networks - for e.g. the similarities and diffrences between "building a business online" and "building a conventional business offline". Last reviewed 21 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Russia: Telework & Telecommuting: Common Terms and Definitions (in Russian) Contains definitions and descriptions of the common terms related to Telework & Telecommuting, such as : Telework, Telecentres, Telecottages, Televillages, etc. Last reviewed 20 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Russia: Telework (Telecommuting): the Benefits (in Russian) This page discusses the benefits that Teleworking offers to employers, employees, self employed individuals and entrepreneurs, and in developing the local economy. The Social benefits and the Drawbacks of Teleworking are also discussed. Last reviewed 21 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Should I be a Teleworker/Telecommuter? Can I get work as a Teleworker? This Frequently Asked Question(FAQ) provides a self-assessment approach to help with the decisions about teleworking/telecommuting, whether as an employee or self-employed. It links to a set of FAQs about finding work as a teleworker. Last reviewed 3 December 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Telecooperation, Telework and Teletrade Basics of telework and teletrade Last reviewed 30 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Telework and Teletrade: Opportunities or Threats? This FAQ emerged from discussion at the European Telework Congress in Vienna, 4-6 November 1996 and in the Telework Europa forum on CompuServe. Last reviewed 27 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource UMTS - what is it? UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is the next-generation standard for mobile phones and other communicating devices. This FAQ, at the UMTS Forum, covers, what, why and when. UMTS will be available in commercial services from 2002. Last reviewed Add your own comments about this resource What are Europe's priorities for the Information Society? Summary of European Commission statement of December 1999, with commentary and links to original statement, discussion etc. Last reviewed Add your own comments about this resource What are the attitudes of commuters to Teleworking? BT survey of commuters (Nov 1995) Last reviewed 19 April 2000 Add your own comments about this resource What are the basic requirements for teleworking at/from home? As telework (telecommuting) becomes widely accepted as a productivity and cost saving tool for employers and as offering benefits for employees and the environment, managers seek advice on how to determine such matters as "which employees should be permitted to telework?" and "should we allow home based telework or encourage teleworking in (for example) neighbourhood offices?". This FAQ identifies the four main dimensions of home-based telework and suggests how to use them in deciding telework strategies and programmes. Last reviewed 14 January 1999 Add your own comments about this resource What are the main Benefits of Telework ? Discussion of the benefits to employers, individuals and the community, plus a summary of some potential drawbacks Last reviewed 27 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource What are the views of Trade Unions about teleworking? A summary based on a contribution by Andrew Bibby. Last reviewed 13 January 1999 Add your own comments about this resource What is telecommuting? A short definition at Webopedia, together with a few links to telecommuting sites. Last reviewed Add your own comments about this resource What is Telework about? How is Telework defined? A list of common terms and definitions provided by Management Technology Associates. Last reviewed 1 December 1998 Add your own comments about this resource What is Telework? Telework occurs when information and communications technologies (ICTs) are applied to enable work to be done at a distance from the place where the work results are needed or where the work would conventionally have been done Last reviewed 30 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource What is the difference between a "Telecottage" and a "Telecentre"? Description how they are used by the European Telework Development Initiative Last reviewed 27 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource Why doesn't the European Telework Online website provide a directory of teleworkers or a registry for teleworkers? There have been many such schemes at local, national and international level and it seems an obvious development, but at the present stage of telework and networking evolution there is a Catch 22. Its difficult to justify the cost of the substantial marketing effort needed to deliver successful results for teleworkers; but without that substantial marketing effort most programmes of this kind simply don't find enough worthwhile jobs. The FAQ explains why. Last reviewed 14 January 1999 What others have said | Add your own comments about this resource zEuropean Telework Online general FAQ: What are the purposes of the ETO web site and its associated discussion lists and other facilities? This question is sometimes raised in our online discussion and in questions to the web site team. Some general answers are provided here. Some general answers are provided here, particular questions should please be addressed to the site team at eto-info@eto.org.uk. Last reviewed 27 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource zEuropean Telework Online general FAQs: Why does European Telework Online use simple email discussion lists - why not something more sophisticated? This question arises in our online discussion and in questions to the web site team. From time to time people have suggested that we use a more sophisticated approach. Here's the rationale for "keeping it simple". Last reviewed 25 April 1998 Add your own comments about this resource zEuropean Telework Online: About The Logo The logo contains the project initials - E, T and D Last reviewed 30 October 1998 Add your own comments about this resource