Know 4 telework measures and eliminate the disadvantages of telework!

In recent years, with the promotion of work style reform by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of companies that have introduced telework is increasing.

However, there are many people who are worried about telework, such as “I have introduced telework, but my productivity has not improved” or “I want to introduce telework, but it is difficult to manage employees.”

This time, we will explain the disadvantages (challenges) of telework and measures to solve them.

If you are considering introducing telework or are having trouble after introducing telework, please refer to this article.

What is telework?

Telework is a coined word that combines “Tele = remote” and “Work = work”, and is a general term for three types of work: home work (telecommuting), mobile work, and satellite office.

• Telecommuting (Telecommuting) : Working from home instead of going to the office
• Mobile work : Working in locations other than the original office, such as at customer sites or in the car while traveling
• Satellite office work : Temporary use by working in a workspace set up in a place away from the head office

By introducing telework, employees can reduce travel time and achieve work-life balance. In addition, companies can reduce employee transportation costs and office air conditioning and lighting costs.

Disadvantages of telework

While there are advantages to introducing telework, many issues (disadvantages) have been identified in the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s 2015 JILPT Survey on Diverse Working Styles Using Information and Communication Equipment.

As a result of a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the major issues (disadvantages) are as follows.

• Difficulty separating work and personal life
• work long hours
• Difficulty managing working hours
• Difficult to manage progress
• Difficult to ensure information security
• lack of communication

Disadvantages are eliminated by telework measures

Countermeasures against lack of communication

In telework, communication is reduced compared to face-to-face communication, which leads to a loss of unity among employees and a decline in productivity.

The countermeasure is to create an environment where it is easy to communicate even in telework.

In order to create an environment where it is easy to communicate, we recommend introducing a chat tool that allows you to easily send messages and an in-house SNS that makes it easy to share work-related information.

Measures to accurately manage working conditions

In telework, the current situation is that it is difficult for management to manage the working conditions of employees. This can lead to employees working long hours.

To avoid such situations, you can take the following measures.

• Thoroughly disseminate the work rules
• Set the tool access to be restricted at the specified time
• Introduce an attendance management and labor management system so that employees’ working conditions can be understood at a glance

When it comes to telework, it is difficult for employees to understand what they are doing now and how far their work is progressing.

The countermeasure is to visualize and share the progress of work.
Rather than managing progress with Excel, we recommend using man-hour management and project management tools to manage progress.

Man-hour management and project management tools have functions such as work analysis and aggregation from various angles, so productivity is improved compared to progress management with Excel.

Measures to ensure information security

The number one issue in introducing telework is ensuring information security.

Telework increases the risk of information leakage due to the use of public Wi-Fi, so it is necessary to take thorough security measures to protect confidential information from the outside.

Therefore, we recommend using a remote access tool.
With the remote access tool, you can improve the communication environment and take security measures.

6 telework countermeasure tools

chat tool

A chat tool is a tool that allows you to communicate in real time using a PC or smartphone. It can be used both internally and externally.

It is not a formal exchange like e-mail, but it is characterized by being able to communicate casually as if you were actually having a conversation. In addition to one-on-one communication, you can also communicate with multiple people using the group function.

A chat tool that can be easily exchanged allows you to quickly share information, which increases work efficiency. However, you need to be careful because excessive communication will reduce your concentration.

In-house SNS

In-house SNS is a SNS for internal use. Many companies have introduced it for the purpose of promoting information sharing and communication within the company.

The basic functions of the in-house SNS are as follows.

• Easy-to-use chat function
• Stamp function that can be easily reacted
• Ability to group by department or purpose
• Ability to upload files in various formats

In-house SNS allows employees to communicate with each other and across departments that they normally do not have contact with. As a result, even in telework, it becomes easier to create a sense of unity and create new ideas as a company organization.

Attendance management system

The attendance management system is a system that supports attendance work such as attendance records, leave applications and records, and shift management.

It can be used for telework because it can be recorded by logging in to a PC or using a smartphone, instead of using timecards or Excel.

In addition, since working hours can be aggregated and payroll can be calculated automatically, the number of man-hours required for attendance management can be reduced.

Labor management system

The labor management system is a system that automates the tasks required for the following labor management.

• Working hours management
• Enrollment management for social insurance and welfare programs
• Labor Relations Management
• Payroll management
• Health and safety management

In the past, it was necessary to manually create three statutory ledgers (worker roster, wage ledger, and attendance ledgers) for each employee, submit them to relevant organizations, and store them in-house.

However, the introduction of the system reduces the work of creating and applying, making it easier to manage employees even when working from home.

Effort/project management tools

Man-hours and project management tools are tools that manage man-hours by calculating the amount of work and the number of people in charge of a project.

Accurate man-hour management is directly linked to corporate profits. By managing the amount of work and personnel for each project, it becomes easier to discover and solve problems, which improves sales and profit margins.

By using man-hours and project management tools, not only can you visualize work styles and progress even in telework, but you can also increase your awareness of productivity improvement.

remote access tools

A remote access tool is a tool that allows you to connect to your company’s network from a remote location via the Internet.

If the power of the PC installed in the office is turned on, the PC outside the company can also be connected. Therefore, let’s introduce remote access tools at the same time as introducing telework.

Remote access tools also have security measures to prevent information leaks, so you can use them with confidence. Specifically, there are the following security measures.

Multiple authentication methods

• User ID and password
• one-time password
• biometric authentication

Setting access rights

Access restrictions can be set at the network and application level for each user.

summary

This time, I explained the disadvantages of telework and the measures to solve them.

If you are considering introducing telework or are having trouble after introducing telework, please refer to this article and take measures.