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Description
It is estimated that by 2010 there will be 20 million full- and part-time telecommuters working in the United States. The purpose of this article is to assist employment counselors in their work with organizations in implementing e-worker programs as well as in their counseling of e-workers. The authors define e-worker, summarize the growth of e-worker programs, outline benefits and drawbacks to teleworking, discuss critical elements of a successful teleworker program, and elaborate on potential strategies for becoming a successful e-worker.
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For the purposes of this article, we define e-workers as full-time, home-based telecommuters who work and communicate primarily through electronic mediums such as the Internet, corporate intranets, and/or electronic mail with very little face-to-face interaction with the main office location or staff. This view of e-workers is consistent with Di Martino and Wirth's (1990) "electronic home worker" (p. 530), whom they considered a subclass of a work group known as teleworkers.
GROWTH OF E-WORKER PROGRAMS
A survey taken by the International Telework Association in October 2001 found that 1 out of every 5 workers in the United States participated in some form of telework (International Telework Association & Council, 2001). A 2002 projection estimated that by 2010 there will be more than 20 million full- and part-time telecommuters working in the United States (JALA International, 2002). In Europe, the number of e-workers is expected to triple by 2010 ("EU Telecommuters to Top 27 Million by 2010," 2002). These projected global increases in the use of flexible work programs, such as telework, can be attributed to the advancement and increased availability of technology as well as to the numerous benefits these programs afford participating organizations and employees.
In addition to the expanded availability of more advanced telecommunications technologies (e.g., fax machines, cell phones, the Internet), various societal changes have influenced the increased use of flexible work arrangements worldwide. These factors include the need to increase productivity, the need to manage employee job satisfaction, the need to control business-related costs, the need to reduce absenteeism, and the need to retain high-performing and valuable employees (Mann, 2000). Knight and Westbrook (1999) found that employees prefer telecommuting as an option for personal reasons, including "reduced clothing costs, more privacy, more time with family, stress reduction, and reduced cost of transportation" (p. 17).
BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS
From an employer's perspective, there are several benefits to e-working. Benefits at the organizational level include improved workplace productivity, higher job satisfaction, less absenteeism and turnover, and reduction of costs associated with office space (Di Martino & Wirth, 1990; Kurland & Bailey, 1999; Kurland & Cooper, 2002; Young, 1991). In addition, flexible work schedule programs increase employee productivity, serve to attract potential applicants and strengthen an organization's recruitment strategy, allow organizations to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, and allow for compliance with regulations outlined in the Clean Air Act (Di Martino & Wirth, 1990; Gainey & Kelley, 1999; Knight & Westbrook, 1999; Kurland & Bailey, 1999; Kurland & Cooper, 2002; Kurland & Egan, 1999; Lim & Teo, 2000; Potter, 2003).
However, from an employer's perspective, there are also disadvantages to e-working. Issues that may hamper the integration of a cyberwork program include the managing of an employee's... |
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