Telework strategies that benefit employers, employees and society: profiting from flexibility

Telecentres, in many different forms, exist in almost every country in the world – although they are not always called telecentres and do not always attempt to deliver even a fraction of the full range of services that the concept is capable of.

From solar-powered cell-phone connections in the Senegal connecting a fax, a phone, and a computer to a distant African capital, through chains of word-processing centres working for urban employers (in France and Britain), to alternate offices for Federal employees in the USA telecentres have demonstrated that they can deliver social, economic and environmental benefits. Closer to home, in West Australia, telecentres supported over 3000 students and produced 28 community newspapers (in the mid ’90s). A host of other services are delivered, including labour market programmes for the unemployed, Internet access, and a range of other services that would not otherwise be cost-effective.

The options, the variety of telecentres, and the screeds of research and academic study all appear limitless…

At its simplest a telecentre is a location at which tele-access or telework can happen.

And there are many forms of telecentre.

• Tele-shops and cyber-cafés  – where people can access telephone, facsimile and email services and the Internet

• Remote offices – a cheaper alternative for large enterprises with offices scattered throughout the country.

• Satellite offices – effectively a branch office but located for the benefit of employees not clients.

• Neighbourhood work centres – a satellite office shared by a number of employers.

• Telecottages – effectively a development that combines some or all of the above functions with Council service delivery, community support and focus, small business training and support (e.g. short-term office lease), an information centre, distance education, telemedicine, community rejuvenation, and more.

• Resort offices – which provide the same support as satellite offices or neighbourhood work centres with additional roles as a perq. for valued employees, off-site meeting and entertainment space, a base for ‘experiential learning’, and so on.  Some provide accommodation as well.

• Multipurpose Community Telecentres – incorporating as many of the above functions as possible and possibly adding such services as a local community Internet Service Provider, secretarial support, computer resources for local schools, employment generation and growth, direct support for traffic elimination ('trip reduction') programmes, disaster recovery and more.

But there is no one-size-fits-all telecentre. Every telecentre could provide a different set of services, facilities and benefits. Telework New Zealand helps companies and communities develop the telecentre that they need.

A comprehensive guide to telecentre developments and their benefits, including links to other information is available. Email us for your copy.