What is telework? Necessity, advantages and disadvantages!

In recent years, due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection and the promotion of work style reform by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (quoted: ” Toward the realization of” work style reform ” Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare / official website), an increasing number of companies are introducing telework. .

However, there may be some people who do not understand much about telework.

Therefore, this time, we will explain from “what is telework (definition)” to the necessity, merits and demerits of introducing telework.

What is telework?

Telework is a coined word that combines “tele” and “work”, and refers to a flexible way of working regardless of time or place.

There are three types of telework: “work from home (telecommuting),” “mobile work,” and “satellite office.”

Work from home (telecommuting)

Working from home means working from home instead of going to the office.

mobile work

Mobile work refers to working in various locations other than the original office, such as at a client’s office or in a car while traveling.

satellite office

A satellite office is a work space set up in a remote location from the head office. It is intended for temporary use, such as a spot office or rental office where an internal LAN can be used.

Reasons why telework is necessary

Countermeasures against the declining working population

In order to compensate for the decline in the working population due to the declining birthrate and aging population, we are promoting the expansion of employment opportunities for women, the elderly, and the disabled.

Employing people who want to work but cannot work due to childcare, nursing care, illness, etc. may lead to securing excellent human resources.

Reducing the burden on the environment

By introducing telework, the burden on the environment can be reduced.

• Reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 3.21 to 4.42 million tons per year due to reduced commuting and movement
• Reduction of power consumption through labor saving in the office, such as reducing office lighting and air conditioning usage time

Advantages of introducing telework

company side

Cost reduction

The introduction of telework eliminates the need for office space and reduces the amount of lighting and air conditioning used. In addition, telework basically communicates on the Web, so printing and stamp costs can be reduced.

Productivity improvement

Telework improves employee concentration and productivity for the following reasons:

• Relatively few calls and phone calls
• Eliminating commuting time gives you more time

Securing diverse and excellent human resources

With telework, there is a greater degree of freedom when and where you work. As a result, it is possible to employ a diverse range of human resources, including those who live in remote areas and those who have difficulty commuting due to childcare, nursing care, illness, etc.

In addition, the possibility of securing excellent human resources that could not be hired with the conventional work style of coming to work increases.

Ensuring business continuity

Since the introduction of telework does not consolidate information in one office, it is a risk hedge in the event of an emergency.

As a result, business continuity can be ensured with little impact even in the event of a disaster or people refraining from going out due to the spread of infectious diseases.

employee side

stress relief

Stress is reduced by being free from crowded trains and being able to work anywhere you like.
As a result, you will be able to concentrate on your work and improve your work performance.

time saving

Many households have a commute time of 30 minutes to 1 hour (quoted from “2013 Housing and Land Statistics Survey”Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications), but the introduction of telework can significantly reduce commuting time.

Realization of work-life balance

Telework allows for a variety of work styles, making it possible to balance childcare, housework, and nursing care.
You can also secure time to spend with your family and face yourself, and live a healthy life.

Disadvantages of introducing telework

company side

Employee attendance and labor management is difficult

The disadvantage is that it is difficult to keep track of working hours because employees work out of sight of managers. Therefore, there is a risk of overtime work and long working hours.

Therefore, it is necessary to take measures such as thoroughly disseminating work rules and creating a system that is easy to manage by introducing an attendance management system and a labor management system.

Risk of information leakage

Telework is known to have a high risk of information leakage due to the use of public Wi-Fi. Thorough security measures are essential to protect important confidential information from the outside.

Therefore , we recommend using a remote access tool to improve the communication environment and take security measures for telework.

employee side

lack of communication

Telework is more likely to result in a lack of communication than when working in the same office, which can lead to less cohesion and lower productivity.

Therefore, it is important to create an environment that facilitates communication by introducing in -house SNS and chat tools .

Difficulty separating work and personal life

The advantage of telework is that you can work regardless of time and place, but the disadvantage is that it is difficult to separate work and private life.

Therefore, when working, set goals and schedules for the day.

Points to note when introducing telework

Tools and systems required for telework are costly

We have the necessary tools and systems to introduce telework.

The introduction of the tool system will incur a certain amount of initial cost and monthly cost.

For example, the following tool systems:

• Attendance management/labor management system
• In-house SNS and chat tools
• remote access tool

summary

This time, I mainly explained about “What is telework?”

Please consider introducing telework after understanding the work style of “telework”.