Benefits of teleworking to the employee
- No need to travel to work - saves time, less stressful
- Save money on travel costs
- Ideal if you are disabled
- Work own hours - picking up children/ days off (flexibility)
- No need to live near the workplace
- No problems with traffic jams or busy trains
- Carbon dioxide emissions therefore ‘greener’ - environmental benefit since there is no commuting to work
- Ideal for disabled people
Define teleworking
Working from home using computer networks
Benefits of teleworking to the employer
- Less office space required - cheaper rent, save on heating + electric bills
- Less cleaners + caretakers - small premises
- Less time taken off sick by staff
- Less furniture needed
- Keep staff happier - more flexible working hours
- Retaining skilled workers/ maternity
- Comfortable environment can lead to greater productivity
Disadvantages of teleworking to the employee
- Heating + electricity costs at home
- Lonely Job at home - no workmates to socialise with
- Difficult to work with noisy kids - environment
- Must be motivated to do the work
- Some companies pay teleworkers less
- Passed over for promotion
Disadvantages of teleworking to the employer
- Can’t control staff - what their doing, how hard their working
- Difficult to have meetings + discussions
- Difficult to manage work + control deadlines
- Employers usually have to pay for the computer equipment used
- Security issues - sensitive data used outside of the business environment
- Health and safety checks needed at employees home
Define videoconferencing
Face to face meetings can be held without the need to be in the same room, building or country.
What are the uses and associated hardware with videoconferencing?
- Used for meetings, presentations + sharing information - education, business, hospitals
- Very fast broadband connection - amount of data needs to be transferred
- Video/ web cams - remote - can be moved around to specific points
- Monitors of high quality screens
- Microphones
- Speakers
Type of telecommuting jobs
- Web designer
- Accounting
- Clerk
- Programmers
Technology used for telecommuting?
- Internet access
- mobile phone
- videoconferencing
- e mail
- high speed broadband connections
Telecommuting requirements?
- Workers must be trustworthy - possession of sensitive/ personal data
- Workers must be self motivated - boss wont be there to check work being done
- Computer with necessary software and programmes
- Fast Internet connection
- Web cam if used for video conferencing
- Internet phone
- Printer
- Suitable room or work in
Benefits of videoconferencing to workers
- No need to travel to meetings so save money on expenses
- More work done due to less time travelling
- Shorter working hours, more leisure time
- Happier workers, not away from home for long periods attending meetings
Benefits of videoconferencing to business
- Cheaper to run, no need to pay overtime or expenses travelling
- More work done due to less time travelling by workers
- Can arrange meetings much easier, not as much prior warning required
- Happier workers not away from home for long periods
- Keep in touch with branches located far away or in other countries
Disadvantages of videoconferencing
- Initial cost of buying equipment and setting up the facility
- Slow broadband can create a blocky picture and break in audio
- Some people don’t like speaking on camera
- Product design company can’t handle and feel the product
- No personal feel to meetings
The use of video conferencing has now become important in health service. With reference to appropriate examples discuss two uses of video conferencing in the health service
Regional meetings
Consultation at a distance e.g skin cases referred to experts
