Steps to telework: checklist for employees

• Introduction
• General issues checklist
• The office at home
• Contact with the central office
• Organisation of work
• Ergonomic issues
• Employment contract
• Regular checks while teleworking
• Home based teleworking basic equipment

Steps to telework: introductory

Whether the proposal to consider home-based teleworking be yours or your employer's, there are a number of initial steps to take before you embrace what could be a very major change to  your working life.

This section is designed to help you identify and consider some of the most important issues raised by home telework. In many circumstances, teleworking can provide real benefits both for employers and  individual employees who may find that they save money and time by avoiding commuting, and gain greater flexibility in integrating their work with the rest of their lives. However, there are also potential disadvantages.

As an employee, you will  want to ensure that your employment status is unaffected by a change in the geographical situation of your workplace. The maintenance of the employer/employee relationship is one of the key principles stressed by most telework users and specialists. If your employer is attempting to transfer work to independent contractors, you should be aware that this is a major change. Other sections of this electronic handbook deal with the issues of freelance telework.

A second key principle of teleworking is that it should be a voluntary choice  and not a compulsory step. Most telework arrangements provide for the right to return to the workplace in the  future (on either the individual or employer's request). Do not commit yourself to a long-term permanent arrangement without careful thought first: sometimes teleworking does not work out;  an individual's personal circumstances can change so that home working is no longer feasibile.

You will want to look carefully at any telework proposals from your employer. Most businesses first institute teleworking through a fixed-length pilot scheme: this is generally a sensible way for all parties involved to gain experience. However, there is now a wealth of experience available from companies which have already made use of teleworking: a lot of this information is available in this electronic handbook.

You should  carefully consider your motivations for wanting to telework. Are you the sort of person who will successfully be able to work away from the usual bustle of the office? Have you discussed your plans carefully with members of your family? Remember that whilst home teleworking can give individuals greater work time  flexibility,  it is not an answer to childcare problems:  home working  is usually  incompatible with with  direct child care.

Consider also where you will be working. Do you have the space you need, and the proper equipment to work with? Do not be tempted to make do with, say, a PC perched on an old table: ergonomic standards are important and your physical well-being depends on them.

Will you be properly recompensed for using your own home? You are likely to incur on-going costs (for heating, lighting and telephone). There will also be further effects on your private  life, for example, you may no longer be able to have friends to stay if your spare room has been turned into your office.

How easy will it be to remain in touch with your colleagues at work, and to maintain the relationship with your line manager? Is there a danger of  missing  out on more than just the office gossip? - your chances for promotion or for further training, perhaps? Remember that teleworker should  have  the same opportunities as office-based employees.

You will also want to look carefully at any proposed changes or additions to your employment contract. Some companies have negotiated collective agreements on teleworking with work councils or trade union organisations (the texts of many of these agreements are available in this handbook). Some companies arrange teleworking on an individual  and more informal basis. The checklist below will help you.

Finally, once you have begun teleworking you should evaluate your experience on an on-going basis, to check that the benefits  still outweigh the disadvantages.

Checklists for teleworking, you and telework: some general issues to consider

• Are you happy working by yourself?
• Would you miss regular contact with other people  at work?
• Are you good at self-motivation?
• Are you good at time management?
• Does working at home worry you?
• Are the members of your family happy with  the idea that you may be at home,  working?
• Can you keep the appropriate degree of separation between your professional work and private life?
• Would you be able to leave to switch off and leave your work behind at the end of the  day?
• Does spending the day working at home satisfy you?
• Will you miss the direct feedback on your work from your manager or colleagues, which office-based workers take for granted?
• How well will your employer communicate with you?
• Are you technically competent, e.g. in the use of a PC?
• Are you happy communicating by telephone?

The office at home

• Do you have a separate room at your disposition?
• Is there enough working space and storage space available?
• Is the furniture suitable? (see below)
• Is this a pleasant place to be working? (Lighting, room temperature, etc.)
• Can you keep  work information confidential?
• Can you shut the door on your office at the end of the working day?

The equipment you may need

• What sort of PC will you use? (Long-term use of a notebook PC keyboard and monitor is not recommended in ergonomic terms)
• What sort of telecommunications lines will you need? (Separate telephone line? ISDN?) Fax? Answering machine?
• Stationery? (separate from your personal stocks)
• Can telephone calls to your office number be switch  through to you easily?
• Who is available to help you with hardware or software problems at home?
• Home based teleworking basic equipment.

Contact with the central office, and with colleagues

• Will you be regularly in contact with colleagues?
• How will you be informed if there are developments or problems in your company?
• Can you discuss problems or questions about your own work with colleagues, whenever they occur?
• Is there anyone who can stand in for you in case of sickness or holidays?
• Are there regular team meetings?
• Can you ask for team meetings during your office visits?

Organisation of work

• Are there (individually or mutually agreed) hours of working?
• Are there certain periods of the day when you are on call?
• Is there any type (not necessarily formalised) of work record?
• Do you know your most productive time during the day?
• Do you feel that the work tasks you have set are feaseble with available working time?
• Is the agreement  about the work to be undertaken transparent?
• What arrangements have been made  in case of illness?

The employment contract Employment status

• Will you  be working as an employee or as an independent contractor?

Voluntary principle

• Is it  possible  to return   to the original office work place?

Working place(s)

• Is there an agreement which states where  you should work?

Health and safety

• How will the health and safety of the home workplace be monitored?
• Is the employer legally liable for any work-related injuries or illness?
• What insurance measures have beeen taken?
• Does the employer have the contractual right to enter  your  home, to inspect health and safety arrangements?

Acquisition, installation and maintenance of  equipment, costs of new lines

• Who carries the capital costs involved?
• Is there a procedure for reimbursing additional running costs?
• Is the taxation of these payments clear?

Working hours

• What arrangements  regulate hours worked at home?
• Is there a  balance between time  spent in the office and  working time available at home?
• What arrangements are there for holidays, illness, etc?

Management and supervision

• How are performance tasks set?
• How is work performance monitored? What performance indicators are used?

Training

• Are there any  opportunities  for  training course participation?

Indemnity

• Does the employer hold family  members or visitors liable for damages, e.g. to equipment?

Insurance policy

• Will there be an additional household insurance required? Who pays the premium?

Right to representation

• What procedures are there  for communication between  trade unions or other employee representatives and  teleworkers?

Termination clause

• Is there a time limit on the right to return to working in the office?

Regular  checks to be made  once you begin teleworking

• Do you feel a part of  your firm, even though you are not physically present in the office?
• Do you feel  your colleagues accept your telework arrangement?
• Do your family and friends accept your telework arrangement?
• Is your work properly valued by your manager and colleagues? Are arrangements for setting and monitoring your performance tasks working adequately?
• Are there enough opportunities to meet informally with colleagues?
• Do you manage to separate your professional and private life?
• How productive is your work?
• Are you able to participate in your comapny's new initiatives?
• Do you still think that telework is the best way for you to work?

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