Teleworking means the use of information technology (IT) and telecommunications to replace work-related travel. Teleworking allows employees work at home or at a local teleworking center one or more days per week using communication tools, such as such as phone, fax, modem, Internet teleconferencing, e-mail or IM, to perform work duties from a remote location.
Teleworking provides a number of advantages and disadvantages as follows:
* For the employer:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Reduced costs from not having to provide office space for the teleworker. | Increased costs from providing computer equipment and telecommunication links for teleworkers. |
| Teleworkers can be more productive because they do not suffer the interruptions to their work that they would in an office. | More difficult to manage teleworkers and monitor their performance. |
| Improved motivation with reduced levels of stress and absence due to illness. | Increased risk to the security of the information that is used by teleworkers. |
| An employer might be able to retain an employee by allowing them to work part time from home when their personal circumstances change.
|
Some types of work are unsuitable for teleworking.
|
* For the employee:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Teleworking frees up the time each day spent traveling to work. | A teleworker may feel isolated because they miss the social interaction from their colleagues at work. |
| Saves the cost of using a car or public transport to travel to work. | May be unable to work effectively because of distractions in the home environment. |
| Provides an opportunity for flexible working. | May not have the space at home to provide a suitable environment for teleworking. |
| Provides a better balance between work and family life.
|
May lack the self-discipline to work unsupervised from home.
|
(Source: Internet)