Slide 9 of 11
Notes:
For simplicity and to avoid repetition, this presentation has generally taken the home-based teleworker as the assumed focus. But this is only one of many new methods of work. The spectrum of new modes has been well described in the European IT Observatory 1998, from which the next presentation chart has been adapted.
Staying with the home based teleworker for the moment, these are some of the location factors to evaluate:
1. Available space, defensible space?
“Defensible space” has two meanings: (a) we need an area which is “for work”, where work can be started and stopped without having to reorganise the area for non-work activities; and (b) we need to be able to “shut the door” on work an enjoy home activities without constant visible reminders of pending or overdue work items.
2. Other people - partner, children - their needs and attitudes?
Imagine a family with two parents and two children, all involved in work. If one decides to work at home this may have little impact on the others. But if two or three want to work at home this could cause problems . . .
3. Facilities - telecom quality?
In the same department of the same company, one person may live in the city centre, with high performance, low cost cable to every home, another in a small rural village with relatively slow, costly, less reliable communications.
4. Environment - local noise, disruptions?
Consider the teleworker who lives with a partner and two very young children in a small apartment with thin walls and noisy neighbours. Compare this with the one who lives in a large detached house in the country and whose children have moved away. Home based telework looks and feels quite different to these two people.
