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[June 08, 2006]

Why thousands of Scots are stay ing home to go to work One in eight spend time teleworking

(The Herald Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)THOUSANDS of Scots are turning their backs on the daily grind of the office and are working from home using new technology.

Research for the Scottish Executive shows 13.5per cent of working adults now spend at least some of their working hours at their own desk.

The proportion of people who could telework in the future is expected to reach 40per cent but researchers warn it is unlikely to exceed that figure without some form of major economic restructuring.

The survey is part of a study into the impact of e-working and ICT (information and communications technology) on travel behaviour in Scotland. It concludes commuter congestion could be reduced significantly by an increase in the number of people working from home.


Travel demand, it estimates, could fall by 11per cent based on current patterns of economic activity and the capabilities of modern technology. This, in turn, would deliver a positive impact on the environment.

A generation ago, those working from home were mostly low-paid and in poorly skilled jobs. ICT has changed all that. Scottish e-working is now concentrated on the managerial, professional and technical sectors.

The figures show 13per cent of managers and senior officials are teleworkers, followed by 16per cent in professional occupations and 12per cent in technical jobs. The figures then fall to 9per cent for those in skilled trades and just 5per cent for administration and secretarial workers.

In terms of gender, the distribution of men and women working from home differs substantially from the general pattern of employment. More than half of the UK's total workforce are men but this rises to twothirds for teleworkers.

John McTrusty has everything he needs at home to run the Scottish end of a leading international company. What he doesn't have is the daily commute to the office - an hour there and an hour back. And for that, he is eternally grateful.

Mr McTrusty, 42, is a director of Questback, a Norwegian-owned, web-based firm which creates and distributes feedback surveys and provides data for client businesses and organisations.

As his operation expands in Scotland and he takes on more staff, he will need an office. But it will be a "virtual office", connected through video conferencing and the Skype internet telephone system.

Acutely aware constant teleworking can result in some form of "cabin fever", he tries to balance his week with two or three days at his desk, then a couple of days out meeting clients or attending business networking events.

The report to the executive does go on to point out possible downsides of e-working. The social and psychological impact of ICT has, it says, been poorly researched.

"The daily dialogue with a computer screen lacks the depth of existence to be found in office bustle and banter, " it warns.

"Some people hypothesise ICT offers 'the greatest chance for liberty mankind has ever known'. There is, however, a danger people will be seduced by virtual living to such a degree they forget how to live in the real world."

The report adds that teleworking could reduce pressure on the travel infrastructure.

However, there are some possible side-effects which would negate the positive effects of teleworking. If traffic congestion grows, then e-working will increase and travel demand fall. But then, faced with easier journeys, people may be tempted to e-work less and travel more.

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