schemes has increased by be cut from the national
one- third, to 43 per cent, office rent bill, 465 million
ORKING from home
would cut spending on
petrol and substantially
reduce Britain's emissions
of carbon dioxide, the gas
mainly responsible for
global warming, according
to a study published yester-
day.
2 Strategic Workstyles 2000,
the Oxford business fore-
caster, says that 15 per cent
of the working population
could take up
"teleworking”. This would
take half a million car
commuters off the roads
around London, cut the
annual accident figures by
8,700 and save £2bn a year
on fuel.
3 In spite of productivity
gains averaging 45 per cent
in firms which have adopted
teleworking, the main obs-
tacles remain organisational
inertia and the defensive
psychology of managers,
particularly in a recession.
4 Traditional pyramid struc-
tures of management are
threatened by teleworking.
"Turning up for work” or
the visible presence of a
person at a desk remains the
key factor in evaluating
their performance.
Managers fear loss of
control.
5 However, a survey of 250
large employers has shown
the number running pilot
with one registering savings days would be added to the
of more than £2hr000 a nation's working year
eworking
through productivity gains
By David Nicholson-Lord and individual commuters
year per worker. could "win” up to 900 hours
New environ-
mental legisla-
tion, extending
the "polluter
pays” principle
and, for example,
penalising traffic
in city centres,
will force
organisations to
accept new
working methods.
6 Productivity
gains occur not
just because
people are
happier in their a year. "Green" benefits
jobs, see more of their would total £10.3bn a year.
families and are more in 8 However, the study says
control of their working that about 28 per cent of
lives. "It has more to do existing teleworkers would
with the fact that they spend prefer to be at a central
fewer days off sick, because office because they miss the
they spend less time in social life, find family
germ-ridclen environments routines disrupted and lack
such as crowded trains and space at home. Teleworkers
overheated offices.” should go into the office
7 The report, The Economics regularly, it advises.
of Teleworking, produced
The Independent,
for British Telecom, is said
PHOTOCOPIES iNTERDITES
to be the UK’s first analysis to forecast: prevent' to
of the finances of tele- threaten : menacin'
working. It says if 15 per <.>erm : microbe
cent of workers took up
telecommuting, £5.5bn
would
m
I4!:
i ^ioUffirL^inp \/nrp.!n; ijar;;-
f c w It w W V W t V

1-Teleworking' a- work at nome b- work m office c- commuting to won.

2- Substantially: a- concretely b-normally considerably

3-1 ake up: a- start out b-abandon c- make

4-emissions: a- disenarging b-retreatmg c-abolismng

5- inertia: inactivity b-activity c-abiiity

6- Recession: a-state of economic decline b-boomlng c* break down

7- Turn up: a-appear b-disappear c-adhere

8- Disrupt: a* interfere in someone's activity b-interrupt c-throw into disorder

9- Traditional pyramid: a* traditional structure b- geometric form with triangular sides c hierarchy
Comprehension Questions: Are these questions r ight or wrong?

1O
— W . l . i 4-C- ...
. U rnoiim ► :
Hi"*
* c

i- Working nome would heip decrease global warming.

7- 35% of the population already works from home.
3- Many companies are reluctant to restructure their offices.
4- Managers defend Teleworking because their traditional role is reinforced.
5- New laws will increase finps for polluters.
6- Happier staff increases productivity.
7- People wno work in offices are less frequently ill than teieworkers.
8- Some teleworkers consider that their family life is disorganized

Which psrsgrsshc dzz\ with mainiy with the foil owing oepectc of Teleworking?

A-Benefits for the environment B-Benefits for the

company C- Benefits for the staff

D- improvement in traffic conditions E-Gfobat financial advantages F-oojections mom

managers
G objections mom some teieworkers