Joint media release

27 February 2006

Flexible work arrangements boost economy and work/life balance

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, and the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, today welcomed the release of the Australian Telework Advisory Committee's report.

The Committee was tasked with examining the potential for flexible working arrangements to assist communities, government, employers and employees to meet a number of economic, social and personal goals.

The Committee concluded that broader take-up of telework has the potential to expand the labour market during a period of high employment to fill skills gaps. Telework could also provide improved employment opportunities for people who may otherwise be excluded from the workforce.

Telework has the capacity to facilitate greater workforce participation in line with the Government's Welfare to Work policies, especially among groups that find it difficult to participate in the traditional office-based workplace—such as people with disabilities, mature-aged workers and carers.

“The Australian Government places great importance on strategies that address the ageing of the workforce and skill shortages, as well as the economic revitalisation of rural and regional areas,” Senator Coonan said.

“Flexible working arrangements can help the long-term unemployed, parents with young families, people on disability support and workers looking for a better work-life balance.”

“I welcome the Committee's report on teleworking in Australia and note with interest the central role of management and workplace practices in the success of flexible working arrangements,” Mr Andrews said.

A copy of the report, Telework for Australian employees and businesses: Maximising the economic and social benefits of flexible working practices is available at www.dcita.gov.au/ie/telework or www.dewr.gov.au.

The Report—key findings

Australian employers' telework take-up is being driven by productivity benefits and cost saving opportunities, and is used as an incentive to recruit and retain staff.

Employees see telework as a way to improve their work/life balance and increase the flexibility they have available for family responsibilities.

Information communications technology (ICT), including mobile phones, broadband and collaborative applications, are all supporting the capacity of workers to undertake home-based and remote work.

The Telework committee's consultations suggested that further take-up of telework in Australia could be further encouraged. Developing strategies to overcome growth impediments was a major focus of the review, and are reflected in the list of recommendations to Government. These recommendations focus on target groups including the public sector, rural, disabled and mature-aged workers, and carers.

ATAC Policy Recommendations - summary

The fundamental recommendation of this report is that Government should encourage the growth of telework, in order to further enable associated benefits to business, government and the community. ATAC has developed six proposed actions designed to realise these objectives.

1. Management Training: Evidence suggests that successful telework adoption is being impeded by the inability of many managers to design, implement and supervise ICT-enabled remote working arrangements effectively. The Committee recommends that Government support the development and promotion of telework training programs for managers in the private and public sectors who supervise teleworking employees.

2. Building Technological Capacity: During recent years ICT has driven economic growth and streamlined business efficiencies. Clearly, ICT is also a critical enabler of flexible working, and ATAC recommends that Government support the capacity of ICT-enabled workers in all areas of Australia to reap the economic and social benefits of telework, through continued investment in the availability and effective use of teleworking ICT resources.

3. Telework Online Resource Centre: Currently there is no centralised repository of available information and resources. ATAC recommends that Government support the development and maintenance of a telework web portal, to enable better access to telework information and better practice strategies by businesses and workers.

4. Promote and Support Telework In the APS: Consequently, ATAC recommends that Government promote and support telework in the APS as part of its commitment to a more flexible and ‘family-friendly' APS workforce, and as a potential ‘teleworking role-model'.

5. Research and Modelling: Appropriate data and improved economic modelling on the use and impact of telework will equip Government to assess the need for further action. ATAC recommends that Government fund surveys of businesses and employees to establish longitudinal telework data, and support economic modelling to clarify the ways in which telework can support improved business productivity and cost savings.

6. Promoting Benefits of Telework and Telework Better Practice: Evidence suggests that a lack of awareness within the workforce and business community relating to the benefits of telework and to telework better practice is limiting its effective use and further uptake. To assist this situation ATAC recommends that Government support an awareness raising and education campaign to promote the benefits of telework.

Senator Coonan’s Media Contact: Jane McMillan 0438 690 305
Minister Andrew’s Media Contact: Ian Hanke 0409 715 861