By Kylie McIntosh
Brisbane City Council (BCC) generates significant employment in Queensland and established their telecommuting policy in 1997.
The stay at home staff is generally permanent part-time staff and those who job share, according to a BCC spokesperson. These roles are assessed on an individual basis.
“Applications are assessed on a case by case basis – a role must be suitable in relation to the degree of face to face contact required with clients and colleagues as well as the ability to access the necessary technology and equipment required to perform effectively in the role.
“An individual’s characteristics may also be taken into account. For example, they must be able to work autonomously and meet deadlines. In addition, the home office must be assessed as safe and there must be sufficient budget to support any additional office equipment required.”
According to BCC the benefits of allowing staff to work from home include increased productivity; less traffic on the roads which contributes to a cleaner environment through reduced greenhouse gas emissions; reduced office space and associated operating costs where ‘hotdesking’ arrangements are utilised.
It also increases employee retention and is a weather-proof arrangement. Employees are more accessible and it’s an attraction strategy for recruitment said BCC.
The benefits for staff include less commuting time; reduced transport costs; greater flexibility and more ability to combine work with lifestyle responsibilities, increased opportunities to achieve work/life priorities, increased job satisfaction, less distractions from open plan office noise and, possibly, less stressed employees.
Monday 16 February 2009
Thursday 29 January 2009
Travel agent set to fly
By Kylie McIntosh
Brisbane mother of one, Katy Dawson has been a travel consultant with a large travel agency for 12 years. Last week Katy resigned. She was fed up with the fact that her workplace wasn’t flexible enough to allow her time to enjoy her three-year-old daughter.
“After 12 years of loyal, dedicated service I decided to take things into my own hands and start working from home,” Katy said.
“I’m going to set up my own travel consultancy business so I can work around my daughter.”
Katy researched several travel agencies that provide people working from home access to a commission-based travel business. Under this arrangement Katy will be provided with a 60 per cent commission – some pay up to 90 per cent. And the travel company will also provide marketing assistance and some administration help.
“Once I get things up and running I should be able to make enough money to pay my bills. But the main thing is that I can spend quality time with my daughter and work in the industry I know and love,” Katy said.
To find out more about travel businesses that franchise out consultancy work you would have to research individual agencies. For starters you could try:
www.Travel.com.au
www.travelworld.com.au
www.EscapeTravel.com.au
www.FlightCentre.com.au
http://www.harveyworld.com.au/AboutUs.aspx
Brisbane mother of one, Katy Dawson has been a travel consultant with a large travel agency for 12 years. Last week Katy resigned. She was fed up with the fact that her workplace wasn’t flexible enough to allow her time to enjoy her three-year-old daughter.
“After 12 years of loyal, dedicated service I decided to take things into my own hands and start working from home,” Katy said.
“I’m going to set up my own travel consultancy business so I can work around my daughter.”
Katy researched several travel agencies that provide people working from home access to a commission-based travel business. Under this arrangement Katy will be provided with a 60 per cent commission – some pay up to 90 per cent. And the travel company will also provide marketing assistance and some administration help.
“Once I get things up and running I should be able to make enough money to pay my bills. But the main thing is that I can spend quality time with my daughter and work in the industry I know and love,” Katy said.
To find out more about travel businesses that franchise out consultancy work you would have to research individual agencies. For starters you could try:
www.Travel.com.au
www.travelworld.com.au
www.EscapeTravel.com.au
www.FlightCentre.com.au
http://www.harveyworld.com.au/AboutUs.aspx
Thursday 22 January 2009
Mystery Shopping isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
By Kylie McIntosh
One of the many positions you’ll see advertised along the way if you are looking to work from home is mystery shopping. Now before you get excited thinking you can go and shop till you drop and get paid for it, hang on. There are a few things I’d like to tell you about it. Unfortunately it’s not as fantastic as it initially appears.
A few years back I answered an ad to work as a mystery shopper. Imagine my surprise when they told me that I had to go into Bunnings – with my own money – and purchase something under $10. While this sounds easy enough the actual logistics surrounding the event was incredible.
I did as instructed. I visited said shop and purchased whatever it was – a paint brush I think. I was expected to remember all the names of the staff that did and didn’t smile at me along the way. Then I had to answer several additional questions the company required about staff responses. By the time I drove to the shop, bought the product, sussed out the staff and drove home and wrote up my report it was around an hour later.
Needless to say when I received my hourly fee of $15 plus the reimbursement for the money I’d spent, I realised mystery shopping wasn’t the fab job I thought it would be.
It is fun. Don’t get me wrong. But you’d need to complete several assignments a week to make it financially worthwhile. The other thing was that I lived in a very small town and after about three visits to Bunnings the staff realised I was their mystery shopper…
For those of you who are still interested this site provides a comprehensive list of Australian mystery shopping sites http://www.worldwideworkathome.com/australia/mysteryshopping.html
One of the many positions you’ll see advertised along the way if you are looking to work from home is mystery shopping. Now before you get excited thinking you can go and shop till you drop and get paid for it, hang on. There are a few things I’d like to tell you about it. Unfortunately it’s not as fantastic as it initially appears.
A few years back I answered an ad to work as a mystery shopper. Imagine my surprise when they told me that I had to go into Bunnings – with my own money – and purchase something under $10. While this sounds easy enough the actual logistics surrounding the event was incredible.
I did as instructed. I visited said shop and purchased whatever it was – a paint brush I think. I was expected to remember all the names of the staff that did and didn’t smile at me along the way. Then I had to answer several additional questions the company required about staff responses. By the time I drove to the shop, bought the product, sussed out the staff and drove home and wrote up my report it was around an hour later.
Needless to say when I received my hourly fee of $15 plus the reimbursement for the money I’d spent, I realised mystery shopping wasn’t the fab job I thought it would be.
It is fun. Don’t get me wrong. But you’d need to complete several assignments a week to make it financially worthwhile. The other thing was that I lived in a very small town and after about three visits to Bunnings the staff realised I was their mystery shopper…
For those of you who are still interested this site provides a comprehensive list of Australian mystery shopping sites http://www.worldwideworkathome.com/australia/mysteryshopping.html
Thursday 15 January 2009
New Year – new opportunities
By Kylie McIntosh
Happy New Year to all our stay at home mums – and dads, SAHM wish you all the best for your job hunting efforts in 2009.
Several years ago when I initially started working from home I was fortunate enough to secure a position with the local university campus as an online tutor.
This is a terrific option for stay at home mums who have previously taught at schools, colleges or universities. And it is particularly relevant today considering the burgeoning online university environment.
How to secure a position
Make a list of Australian universities that provide online courses. For a start you could visit:
www.open.edu.au
www.seeklearning.com.au
http://handbook.curtin.edu.au/
http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/2009/index.html
There are a plethora of additional online resources like uni handbooks and lists of universities, both public and private that offer online courses.
Locate the relevant faculty within the uni that you’d like to work with and send an email to the co-coordinator with a summary of your teaching experience and skills. It’s wise to send your details out to several universities to widen your chances of success.
Initially I wasn’t successful but a few months into the uni year one of the online tutors dropped out and I secured a position for the rest of that year. The bonus of working for even just one semester is that you are more than likely to secure work the following year once they know you. The difficult part is getting in the door.
Don’t limit yourself to universities either. Try TAFES and high schools. Even if you don’t find work in the online environment you may be offered tutoring work you are able to do from your home. You can work it around your family so that students visit when it suits you.
Good luck. And please send me details of your efforts so we can explore together what works.
Happy New Year to all our stay at home mums – and dads, SAHM wish you all the best for your job hunting efforts in 2009.
Several years ago when I initially started working from home I was fortunate enough to secure a position with the local university campus as an online tutor.
This is a terrific option for stay at home mums who have previously taught at schools, colleges or universities. And it is particularly relevant today considering the burgeoning online university environment.
How to secure a position
Make a list of Australian universities that provide online courses. For a start you could visit:
www.open.edu.au
www.seeklearning.com.au
http://handbook.curtin.edu.au/
http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/2009/index.html
There are a plethora of additional online resources like uni handbooks and lists of universities, both public and private that offer online courses.
Locate the relevant faculty within the uni that you’d like to work with and send an email to the co-coordinator with a summary of your teaching experience and skills. It’s wise to send your details out to several universities to widen your chances of success.
Initially I wasn’t successful but a few months into the uni year one of the online tutors dropped out and I secured a position for the rest of that year. The bonus of working for even just one semester is that you are more than likely to secure work the following year once they know you. The difficult part is getting in the door.
Don’t limit yourself to universities either. Try TAFES and high schools. Even if you don’t find work in the online environment you may be offered tutoring work you are able to do from your home. You can work it around your family so that students visit when it suits you.
Good luck. And please send me details of your efforts so we can explore together what works.
Thursday 18 December 2008
The Australian Telework Advisory Committee
By Kylie McIntosh
It is not just mothers who can benefit substantially from telework. The fact we live in such a large, geographically disparate country is another key reason for promoting telework.
Currently, government departments like Defence, Customs and Centrelink have recognised the advantages of utilising employees who live in remote parts of Australia to contribute to their departmental practices and policies.
In 2006, the Australian Telework Advisory Committee reported to the government in its paper titled: Telework for Australian Employees and Businesses: Maximising the Economic and Social Benefits of Flexible Working Practices.
The committee acknowledged the importance of telework and suggested that
“The existing Sensis survey template could also be built...to measure telework trends and usage behaviours for a range of other important groups, including workers with disabilities, carers, female workers, and workers living in regional, rural and remote areas.”
The committee recognised both the community and social benefits of telework including improving “work–life balance for Australian workers, reducing environmental impacts associated with work-related commuting, and improving prospects for government and business continuity in the advent of terrorism, epidemics and natural disaster.”
To read about Australian case studies examined by this committee visit:http://www.workplace.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/39378CEC-A47E-4981-9DA0-004502E8F433/0/ATACReportTelework.pdf
It is not just mothers who can benefit substantially from telework. The fact we live in such a large, geographically disparate country is another key reason for promoting telework.
Currently, government departments like Defence, Customs and Centrelink have recognised the advantages of utilising employees who live in remote parts of Australia to contribute to their departmental practices and policies.
In 2006, the Australian Telework Advisory Committee reported to the government in its paper titled: Telework for Australian Employees and Businesses: Maximising the Economic and Social Benefits of Flexible Working Practices.
The committee acknowledged the importance of telework and suggested that
“The existing Sensis survey template could also be built...to measure telework trends and usage behaviours for a range of other important groups, including workers with disabilities, carers, female workers, and workers living in regional, rural and remote areas.”
The committee recognised both the community and social benefits of telework including improving “work–life balance for Australian workers, reducing environmental impacts associated with work-related commuting, and improving prospects for government and business continuity in the advent of terrorism, epidemics and natural disaster.”
To read about Australian case studies examined by this committee visit:http://www.workplace.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/39378CEC-A47E-4981-9DA0-004502E8F433/0/ATACReportTelework.pdf
Telework: the Australian way
By Kylie McIntosh
Recognising the need for contemporary workplace practice policies, the Australian Government has developed a very useful site for employees and employers. The Telework Australia site is devoted to exploring the various myths and questions surrounding working from home.
Offering guidelines, checklists and templates for organisations on how to implement flexible workplace arrangements as well as occupational health and safety issues and virtual team management advice it is a one-stop shop for those investigating working from home.
The site also provides a handy series of questions and answers relating to the topic. They cover a range of themes including how to start working from home and the technology you will require; policies for flexible working arrangements and a host of additional issues including the tax implications of working from home.
For more details visit: http://www.teleworkaustralia.net.au/
Recognising the need for contemporary workplace practice policies, the Australian Government has developed a very useful site for employees and employers. The Telework Australia site is devoted to exploring the various myths and questions surrounding working from home.
Offering guidelines, checklists and templates for organisations on how to implement flexible workplace arrangements as well as occupational health and safety issues and virtual team management advice it is a one-stop shop for those investigating working from home.
The site also provides a handy series of questions and answers relating to the topic. They cover a range of themes including how to start working from home and the technology you will require; policies for flexible working arrangements and a host of additional issues including the tax implications of working from home.
For more details visit: http://www.teleworkaustralia.net.au/
Thursday 11 December 2008
Toshiba manual assists Australian businesses adopt flexible workplace practices
By Kylie McIntosh
While many small businesses may be slow to embrace the working from home revolution, larger companies are taking advantage of flexible workplaces. Toshiba (Australia) is one such visionary.
One of the issues companies face once they agree to their staff working from home is how to regulate and monitor working conditions. Toshiba has addressed this issue through the development of its manual; A Guide to Creating and Managing a Flexible Workplace.
Toshiba identified during the survey that rather than using attendance-based criteria to assess employers, performance-based criteria would be more useful for those who chose to work from home.
Using a cross-section of employers and employees focus groups, including mothers returning to work and managers interested in undertaking flexible working arrangements, Toshiba identified the relevant issues. This led to the development of the manual.
This manual is a “practical manual for organisations and individuals interested in adopting new working practices to improve organisational culture and competitiveness. Its ultimate purpose is to help organisations improve business outcomes, such as greater productivity, through the successful implementation of flexible working; thereby assisting employees achieve greater work/life balance.” http://www.isd.toshiba.com.au/sig/sigguide.html
Benefits for Aussie workplaces
Because it was developed by Toshiba (Australia), this manual has material that can be directly applied in both Australian and New Zealand workplaces.
Toshiba ISD general manager, Australia and New Zealand Mark Whittard said the manual was developed to assist other workplaces change their culture.
“There is a great wave of New Zealanders who are questioning the high-stress urban lifestyle and looking for tangible ways they can improve their lives. Knowledge workers in particular are realising that they have more power in negotiations with employers because their skills are transferable and in demand.
“Fortunately, many Australian and New Zealand organisations are starting to
respond, and looking to solutions like flexible working, which can help them
retain their staff.
“However, flexible working is a complex issue and our intention with the guide is to simplify how flexible working can be successfully introduced and its business benefits measured, by listing the steps companies can take.”
DDI is an organisation that works with companies of all sizes to build engaged, high-performing organisational cultures. DDI general manager Mark Busine said staff retention was a key reason for adopting flexible workplace practices.
“Investigation has shown that work/life balance rates higher than
remuneration in the reasons why people stay with their employer. This is very
important for organisations of all sizes in retaining and attracting high calibre
people,” he said.
Tips from Toshiba’s manual: A Guide to Creating and Managing a Flexible Workplace.
“The guide includes seven chapters addressing the ‘why', ‘what', ‘who', ‘how', ‘where' and ‘when' questions behind flexible working. It includes:
While many small businesses may be slow to embrace the working from home revolution, larger companies are taking advantage of flexible workplaces. Toshiba (Australia) is one such visionary.
One of the issues companies face once they agree to their staff working from home is how to regulate and monitor working conditions. Toshiba has addressed this issue through the development of its manual; A Guide to Creating and Managing a Flexible Workplace.
Toshiba identified during the survey that rather than using attendance-based criteria to assess employers, performance-based criteria would be more useful for those who chose to work from home.
Using a cross-section of employers and employees focus groups, including mothers returning to work and managers interested in undertaking flexible working arrangements, Toshiba identified the relevant issues. This led to the development of the manual.
This manual is a “practical manual for organisations and individuals interested in adopting new working practices to improve organisational culture and competitiveness. Its ultimate purpose is to help organisations improve business outcomes, such as greater productivity, through the successful implementation of flexible working; thereby assisting employees achieve greater work/life balance.” http://www.isd.toshiba.com.au/sig/sigguide.html
Benefits for Aussie workplaces
Because it was developed by Toshiba (Australia), this manual has material that can be directly applied in both Australian and New Zealand workplaces.
Toshiba ISD general manager, Australia and New Zealand Mark Whittard said the manual was developed to assist other workplaces change their culture.
“There is a great wave of New Zealanders who are questioning the high-stress urban lifestyle and looking for tangible ways they can improve their lives. Knowledge workers in particular are realising that they have more power in negotiations with employers because their skills are transferable and in demand.
“Fortunately, many Australian and New Zealand organisations are starting to
respond, and looking to solutions like flexible working, which can help them
retain their staff.
“However, flexible working is a complex issue and our intention with the guide is to simplify how flexible working can be successfully introduced and its business benefits measured, by listing the steps companies can take.”
DDI is an organisation that works with companies of all sizes to build engaged, high-performing organisational cultures. DDI general manager Mark Busine said staff retention was a key reason for adopting flexible workplace practices.
“Investigation has shown that work/life balance rates higher than
remuneration in the reasons why people stay with their employer. This is very
important for organisations of all sizes in retaining and attracting high calibre
people,” he said.
Tips from Toshiba’s manual: A Guide to Creating and Managing a Flexible Workplace.
“The guide includes seven chapters addressing the ‘why', ‘what', ‘who', ‘how', ‘where' and ‘when' questions behind flexible working. It includes:
Tips on managing remote workers and building an effective organisational culture with flexible workers, including maintaining team spirit, building trust and communication amongst team mates
Suggestions on how to measure the performance of employees based on productivity and business needs, rather than by ‘presence' or time
Examples on how and why companies have implemented flexible working, including case studies from WMC Resources
Step-by-step guides for setting up flexible working practices
Worksheets, including: a cost/benefit analysis to determine the financial benefits available; employee self assessment to check individual suitability for flexible working; technology assessments; and team building
Guidance on how to secure managerial buy-in for implementing flexible working- Advice on building flexible workplace policies
Information on the practical requirements for successful flexible working, including technology requirements, home office environments.”
For more information visit http://www.isd.toshiba.com.au/sig/sigguide.html
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