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Telework

What is Telework?

The word "telework" is a coined word that combines Tele:distant and Work:working, and it refers to a flexible working style which became possible by using advanced information technology.

There are three main types of system: "telecommuting", "mobile Work" and "satellite office work". Most of the workers who telework are employed by the company, while others are self-employed. There are two types of telework: regular telework which is done on a regular basis, and ad hoc telework which is done at a specific frequency.

Types of Telework

Telecommuting

Telecomuting is the most common method of telework which use workers home as a place of work by using telephone, e-mail, videophone, and so on.

Mobile Work

Mobile work is the way to work that make enable for workers to work at anytime and anywhere they want by using electric devices. Work using mobile phones while moving and participation in videophone meetings are the examples of teleworking.

Satellite Office Work

Satellite offices located away from the head office are used in a variety of ways, such as offices of employee's use ony, shared offices, and rental office.

Self-employment

There are two types of work: SOHOs, which perform highly specialized work, and part-time work, which is mostly easy work such as scoring work.

Advantages of Telework

Could be a measure for declining birthrate and aging population

Telework enable for workers to participate even when they have less work hours. Therefor it is suitable for people who are raising children or for people who want simple side jobs. In addition, even when workers need for childbirth, childcare, and nursing care, flexible working arrangements can alleviate difficulties to balance work and family responsibilities. As a result, it could have a certain effect to alleviate decline working population.

Responses for emergency situations

By not concentrating all in single office building, it makes possible to continue business operations without being significantly affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, which damage offices, or by outbreaks of infectious diseases such as influenza. It enable us to respond quickly in case of emergency.

Work-Life Balance

Telework, especially telecommuting, is a way of working that allows you to spend more time with your family. This system greatly contributes to the realization of work-life balance by enabling emploees to work while doing housework and raising children. Work-life balance enable employees to choose a variety of lifestyles as members of the family while working with a sense of satisfaction.

The actual situation of Telework

According to the "Survey on trends in telecommunications use" conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in 2016, 13.3% of enterprises responded that telework "Has already been introduced" and 3.3% responded that Telework "Is scheduled to be introduced" This means that the combined ratio of the two is only 16.6%.

As for purposes of introducing Telework according to the companies which has already introduded telework, "Improve the productitity of routine operations" accounted for 59.8%, "Reduction of workers' travel time" at 43.9%, and "Improve customer satisfaction" at 20.8%.

On the other hand, the reasons for not adopting telework were "There is no work suitable for telecommuting" accounted for 74.2%, "Worrying about information leakage." at 22.6%, and "Difficulties in operating business." at 18.4%.

It has been pointed out that in order to solve the labor shortage in the future, it is necessary for diverse human resources such as women, the elderly and foreign workers to play an active role without being bound by conventional concepts. In order to achieve this, it is essential to create a labor market where a work-life balance can be achieved through the spread of telework.

For this reason, creating an environment in which people who have not participated in the labor market can participate in, and creating an environment in which people do not leave the labor market due to childcare or nursing care. Telework is expected to play an important role in constructing such systems.