'The Myth Attack'

Telework is already a popular method of organising work places, satisfying employee aspirations and solving community-wide challenges. Unfortunately, misconceptions and ‘knee-jerk’ reactions can cloud serious discussion of the practice and its benefits. Some of these telework myths (with responses) are listed below.

MYTH: “Telework means working from home.”
Telework can involve the home, but it can also take place in ‘telecentres’, shared offices and other locations. Concentrating only on the home environment side-tracks and distorts the argument. Even when the home is involved, there is a world of difference between working from home (full-time) and working at home for a day or two every week.

MYTH: “Telework means expensive technology and sophisticated telecommunications.”
Teleworkers need the ‘tools of their trade’ and appropriate communication solutions. These will vary on a case-by-case basis and the costs are no longer as high as they once were.

MYTH: “Telework is revolutionary and abnormal.”
Before employees worked in offices and crowded into cities, most people worked in or near their homes. Telework is evolutionary, building on changes in both society and work and capitalising on advances in technology and management. It is already normal for many thousands of Australians and is becoming accepted as an effective way of responding to modern business pressures, including work-life balance, competitiveness and staff retention.

MYTH: “Telework means I’m paying for two offices.”
Who pays for what is something that can be agreed between employers and employees—there are many options. Few, if any, employers with teleworkers pay for more than one office. Furthermore, implementation costs are usually more than offset by productivity increases and other tangible gains.

MYTH: “Telework is an employment issue—it doesn't concern me.”
Although the telework agreement is between an employer and an employee, telework can also have a positive impact on traffic, pollution, local services, employee stress, occupational health and the costs of office accommodation. It is about productivity, flexibility, competitiveness, efficiency and families. Telework and its potential benefits have become important to business managers at all levels of an organisation.

MYTH: “Telework only works where long commutes are involved.”
Telework can deliver many of its benefits without considering commuting at all. After all, companies who endorse telework are rarely concerned with the employee’s commute. They are concerned about staff retention, increasing productivity and reducing business costs. In fact, many teleworkers don’t have long commutes.

MYTH: “Telework means I’ll never see my staff.”
Telework does not mean employees are out of the office all day, every day. Telework can work even if the employee is out of the office only one day a week, or three hours every day, or if some other arrangement is agreed. Most Australian teleworkers are out of the traditional work place only a day or so a week.

MYTH: “Telework is a childcare issue.”
Telework can help with the work/family balance but that does not make it a childcare issue. (Note that telework arrangements are not a substitute for childcare arrangements.)

MYTH: “Telework means I won’t know my employees are working.”
Teleworkers can continue to produce the work that is expected of them, wherever they are. Most can actually produce more and even higher quality work. By measuring the work produced, managers will know whether teleworkers are working effectively.

FACT: “Telework is not appropriate for every organisation or individual.”
It is true that some organisations (hotels, retail operations and some manufacturing businesses, for example) will not be able to implement effective telework arrangements but this is not an argument against telework. Many other organisations will be able to benefit from the approach. Given that telework is not right for some individuals, it is important that telework is based on a voluntary and mutual agreement, based on clearly understood guidelines.

Many other myths can be promulgated but the questions raised about telework must also be raised about the traditional business. For example, if exploitation is a threat in a telework arrangement, it is normally a real threat in the traditional work-place as well; how you manage teleworkers will depend on how you manage your current staff; the technology teleworkers will need is the same as staff currently need; and so on.

It is unfair to attack telework for issues that already exist in the traditional work place. This is best guarded against by ensuring that every question about telework is answered first for the traditional workplace. For example, the question ‘How will I know my staff are working?’ is best answered by asking ‘How do you know they are working now?’