TELEWORKER

A person who uses technology such as computers and telecommunications to work away from the employer's premises on a regular basis.

"In the European Union, it is estimated that approximately 4.5 million employees are currently [in 2006] teleworkers and this is expected to rise to more than 17 million employees by 2010."
(European Industrial Relations Dictionary (Eurofound), Telework, 2009, visited 2011-09-21)

"It is perhaps to be expected that young workers will be less likely to be teleworking. There is overwhelming evidence that most employers will only select teleworkers who they regard as mature, experienced, highly productive and trustworthy – qualities which almost by definition are unlikely to be found at the beginning of a career."
(Huws, U., Equality and Telework in Europe, Euro-telework, visited 2011-09-23)

Telework, according to one definition, is "distance working facilitated by information and communication technologies." However, within this overall definition lies a wide range of different work practices. Teleworking is clearly much more than the model of home-based work performed by company employees. Not every teleworker teleworks full time. For example, home-based employees may be practising "alternating teleworking," working partially from their office and partially from their home.

Classifications

The British consultancy Management Technology Associates has developed a useful categorization of teleworkers, according to time spent teleworking (marginal teleworkers, substantive teleworkers, primary teleworkers) and employment status (employed teleworkers, self-employed teleworkers).