Rural telework

While most early studies and experience of telework focused primarily on the urban environment, the concept has become much more broadly based in recent years, especially in Australia.

Issues such as traffic congestion and environmental pollution dominated much early telework promotion and use. In recent years however, issues such as staff retention (particularly of mature age workers), skill access, office space and corporate productivity have become more important.

The growing spread of new communication technologies has also extended the telework debate beyond the urban boundary.

Building on the changing issues within telework and the new technologies available, the Australian Government has committed large amounts of funding to facilitate the expansion of telework approaches in rural communities. Among the initiatives involved is a growing network of telecentres providing opportunities for training and employment in rural areas and the encouragement of more home-based businesses.

Although rural telework is not without its challenges, employers have many opportunities to take advantage of the potential rural telework holds.

• There is a largely untapped skill base in many rural communities. Farmers and their spouses often have skills that could be very useful in a teleworking environment.
• For some employers, it can be profitable and productive to base entire company divisions in rural locations. (One Melbourne bank has 500 staff in a work centre in rural Victoria.)
• Spreading an organisation’s employment base to include rural teleworkers is also an important business continuity strategy: if the central office is inaccessible due to natural or unnatural disasters or a major health issue, work can potentially continue in the remote location.

Taking advantage of potential employees based in rural locations makes good sense for employers.

• Familiarisation with the technologies associated with telework can lead to greatly increased efficiency in other rural businesses. Easier access to stock markets and water prices, enhanced weather forecasting, improved land mapping and better herd management are only a few examples.
• Effective utilisation of skills and knowledge that might otherwise be lost.

Employers wishing to take advantage of the potential of rural telework should, first, gain experience with telework using their present staff.