enable [in′eibl] давать возможность
means [mi:nz] средство, способ
transmit [trænz′mit] передавать, отправлять
awareness [ə′wεənəs] знание, осведомленность
home teleworking [həum teləwkiŋ] работа вне офиса компании, дома
employee [emploi′i:] служащий
laptop [′læptop] небольшой портативный компьютер
message [′mesidʒ] сообщение
telecottage [′telə′kotidʒ] работа на дому за городом
hardware [′ha:dwεə] “железо” детали компьютера
telecommuting [′teləkəm′ju:tiŋ] работа вне офиса компании, дома
absenteeism [æbsən′ti:izm] невыход на работу
pace [peis] скорость, темп
remote working [ri′məut wkiŋ] дистанционная работа
make for [meik fo:] способствовать, содействовать
pass over [pлs əuvə] проходить, пропускать
lack [læk] недостаток, отсутствие
complaint [kəm′pleint] жалоба, неудовлетворенность
overheads [′əuvehed] расходы, затраты
tangible [′tændʒəbl] вещественный, заметный
staff [sta:f] штат, персонал
recruitment [ri′kru:tmənt] набор, наем
benefit [′benifit] выгода, польза
drawback [′dro:bæk] недостаток, помеха
promotion [prə′məu∫ən] продвижение по службе
premises [′premisəz] недвижимость
retrieval [ri′tri:vl] поиск информации
II. Прочитайте текст и занесите слова с транскрипцией, которые мешают пониманию текста, в Vocabulary notebook. Переведите их.
Teleworking
Broadly speaking teleworking is an arrangement which enables employees to work at any time or place in an effective and efficient manner. In other words work can be done away from a traditional work place such as an office or a factory but with the development of telecommunication systems and information technology. It tends to refer to those types of work that use modern means of communication. People used to go to offices because that was where the equipment was sited and the documents were kept. But in the Age of Information and Telecommunications physical location is no longer so important. It is now possible to transmit immense quantities of information to many people around the world in less time. Crucial to the development of teleworking is awareness that the whole concept of office work is becoming an anachronism.
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There are basically five distinct kinds of teleworking activities. The most common is home teleworking when the employee uses his or her place of residence as a kind of office and does work at home.
Then there’s mobile teleworking. That means that he or she works a lot on the phone. It is when people move around from place to place and communicate with a mobile phone, or they use their laptop to send e-mails to, and receive messages from, the central office.
Another type of teleworking, originated in Scandinavia, is called the telecottage. The idea here is that a location, usually in a rural area but which has all the essential telecommunications and computer hardware, is shared by several firms. Sometimes the telecottage acts as a kind of employment agent putting distant companies in touch with local people to do the work.
The next kind of teleworking activities is called satellite centres. These are small local offices which are shared by the same employees of one particular firm. They are usually located in the suburbs close to people’s homes and so it means less travelling.
And on the subject of travel there’s also something called telecommuting whereby the worker is based part-time at home and part-time at the office.
Teleworking has got its tangible benefits. Although teleworking is still atypical, it can help companies to retain skilled staff while cutting costs. Employers make savings on overheads, such as office space, heating and maintenance; and there can be economies in salaries if the work is moved to staff who live away from the main skill shortage centres. For example, the survey showed that employers can save 63% of the cost of absenteeism per employee who works from home. The research clearly showed that an organization with 100 employees can potentially save $200 000 every year if 20 per cent of the staff telework.
Teleworking can also make for more efficient use of employees’ time: no commuting to work, working at the pace wanted, no time-wasting office gossip, communicating with colleagues over the phone, fax and e-mail at any time at home.
Remote working can have its drawbacks among which is the inevitable isolation. It could lead to employees working for longer hours and less money than they would be in an office. Besides workers could lose touch with the company and be passed over for promotion. The lack of face-to-face conversations, discussions and decisions that are made in a company make employees miss out on all that.
To meet the complaints of being isolated the companies have introduced a series of local work centres where homeworkers could do their jobs together. Now their time is divided between three locations: home, the local work centre and clients’ premises.
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The development of networks of personal computers, information transmission, retrieval and communication has developed to such an extent that it is no longer so important for employees to commute to the office. The number of people teleworking is rising every year and getting more and more popular.
III. Прочитайте текст еще раз и проверьте поняли ли вы его содержание. В тетради для упражнений (Exercise book) письменно ответьте на вопросы по тексту.
1. What does teleworking actually involve?
2. What kinds of teleworking are there?
3. Which of them is the most common? Why?
4. What is telecottage exactly?
5. What changes does this method of working bring about in the daily routine of someone used to office work?
6. Does teleworking interest companies because it helps them economize or because it helps in the recruitment of new staff?
7. What are the main disadvantages of working from home?
8. The disadvantages сan be avoided. What compromise solution is suggested?