Increase in teleworking

Description:

Due to technological developments more people will be able to work from home. This will lead to more communication via email, msn, teleconferencing and will replace some human interaction on the work floor.

Enablers:

o The ubiguiteness of broadband will make remote working easier.
o Congested roads during traffic hours will lead people to work from home more frequently.
o The increase of "knowledge work" has made it less necessary to be in the same place as fellow employees than with industrial work (for example you cannot easily replicate a production facility for beer at your home but it is easy to give legal advice or management consultancy advice from home)

Inhibitors:

o Lack of control on work produced.
o Security issues (if people work from home their workstation is often the weakest link in the network)
o People's need for social interaction at the work place

Paradigms:

Home working will reduce costs and increase quality of life.