Communicating the strategy

A good communications process between management and staff is a key element in successful implementation of an eWork policy.

It is important that a company is clear on the business objectives of introducing eWork. These should have been clarified in the business case, which should define the main points of the message that needs to be communicated throughout the company.

Attitudes to eWorking among staff can vary widely, and are frequently based on misconceptions. Management should use clear language to explain what is involved in eWork and how they propose to implement it. A good illustration of how this might be done is given in the guiding principles for developing eWork shown opposite, which were developed for Lloyds TSB Bank.

Companies should be alert to situations where some staff, particularly senior managers, may disguise discomfort and lack of familiarity with information and communications technology by general resistance to the eWork idea. It can be worthwhile providing one-to-one IT coaching to improve their skills if this is a problem.

Developing a company policy

As a first step, review the Code of Practice developed jointly by IBEC and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions for the National Council on Teleworking.

The Code gives an excellent overview of teleworking issues (including eWork), a template agreement and a summary of relevant legislation. It forms part of the new Partnership for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) agreement.

IBEC also provides a useful summary of such agreements in its document, Guideline for Employee Relations 19, Teleworking and Telecommuting.

The Code provides a starting point for your company's own policy, which should be a living document that adapts to reflect changes in the company's own development, technology changes, personnel moves and new business opportunities. The less complex the policy, the easier it will be to adapt it to meet new developments.

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