TASA - The Australian Sociology Association

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Workers Choose Home
19 May 2002

The conventional workplace will be a thing of the past as more and more Australians are expected to follow the increasing trend of a home-based workforce.

Home-based employment opportunities are tipped to be one of this century's most influential changes to the traditional office-working environment. The phenomenon, yet to be formally measured world-wide, is a rapidly increasing trend resulting from the increased use of information technology.

Professor Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay from the University of Quebec, conducted research into this trend in Canada last year and found an aggressive 'teleworking' increase of 2% over a twelve-month period.

"A teleworker can be defined as any person who carries out paid work from their personal residence, mainly via computer," Professor Tremblay said.

"Working from home has become more accessible since technology became the backbone of small and large-scale companies, and the trend will only increase as more organisations embrace this opportunity," she said.

According to Tremblay, the two primary reasons for the shift to working from home include access to a flexible working schedule and the ability to avoid the increasingly long travel times that have become common in most cities of the world.

"The demands on an employee's time do not revolve around the workplace, and employers are being forced to provide flexibility to retain a skilled workforce.

"In the last ten years, there has been a marked increase in women returning to the workforce after having children, and this again has pressured employers and employees to find alternative working arrangements," Professor Tremblay said.

Tremblay's research has also identified a number of benefits available to organisations employing a home-based workforce including the reduced need for office space, increased geographical presence, and the ability to retain knowledgeable employees by offering them more flexible working arrangements.

"If managed correctly, a home-based employment arrangement can be mutually beneficial to the employer and employee," Professor Tremblay said.

"A risk exists that a home-based employee may suffer from a lack of colleague support or isolation, but my studies have shown that employees consider these only minor concerns compared to the benefits of working from home," she said.

Professor Tremblay will join a host of international sociologists and researchers presenting the latest findings on socio-economic issues at the XV World Congress of Sociology being held in Brisbane from 7-13 July 2002.

For further information please visit the official website at www.sociology2002.com.

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