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Each year the European Commission
publishes "state-of-the-art" report on European developments in the
field of new ways of working. The latest edition, eWork 2001,
provides a comprehensive overview of all the changes in working methods made possible
by the new information and communications technologies.
Contents
Following an introduction by the
report's editors - Peter Johnston and John Nolan from the EC's
Information Society directorate, the report is divided into a
number of sections:
- European policy framework for
e-work
- New research results
- National reports
- New directions for research and
technology development
- Agenda - major activities in
2000-2001
Appendices include a comprehensive
review of EC-supported research projects, websites and
publications.
Policy issues
Two important areas of EC policy
development collide with e-work.
The Commission and member states
have been keen to promote the growth of an information society in
Europe through digital infrastructure and applications.
Europe has the highest penetration of mobile phones in the world
and Internet usage in some countries surpasses even that in the
USA.
Yet Europe is also committed to a
number of social and environmental measures designed to boost
learning and skills, protect workers from exploitation, improve
access to work, regenerate depressed regions and reduce
environmental damage.
The report highlights policy
developments in these areas and has proposed a framework agreement
designed to promote socially and environmentally sustainable
development.
Research results
The EC sponsors research projects
and the report includes a number of project reviews, many with
interesting insights, for example:
- Employers appear to be less
concerned than national governments about the impact of social
legislation on productivity.
- Conventional assumptions about
the locations, buildings and facilities required by employers
will cease to apply as the knowledge economy develops
- New ways of working - including
more work being carried out at home - can both threaten and
enhance family life
National reports
The reviews cover all EU member
states as well as the USA, Japan, Canada and some of the future
potential EU members. The reports have been compiled from a
variety of sources and do not necessarily all cover the same
issues. There is however a "Eurobarometer" report
comparing a range of developments in the EU countries.
The most outstanding report is from
Denmark, where it would appear that a combination of two factors
have accelerated the development of e-work:
- Over 70% of households own a PC,
many of which have been provided under an scheme that allows
employers to provide tax-exempt PCs for use at home by
employees and their families
- The trades unions are actively
supporting and encouraging e-work, in the context of
negotiated framework agreements with employers.
In November 2000 17.4% of Danish
workers engaged in some form of teleworking, compared with an EU
average of 5.6%. Perhaps most startlingly, 42% of Danish managers engaged
in teleworking, compared with a European average of 15%.
By way of contrast, the figures for
Italy, where PC household penetration is around 30%, were 3.1% and
6.2% respectively.
New research directions
The EC supports mainly
collaborative research and development into those areas that
support its policies. The report summarises projects that
have been undertaken over the last year and outlines new topics
for research over the period up to 2006. These include:
- Mobile e-work, especially in the
context of 3G wireless networks
- Exploitation of the emerging
broadband networks
- Environmentally and socially
sustainable working practices
- Access to work for the socially
excluded and for people in the most disadvantaged areas of
Europe.
In summary, this comprehensive
report offers fascinating insight into the emerging world of
e-work. It should also provide encouragement to employers,
suppliers and governments to take the e-work market seriously.
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