| Summary: | Teleworking involves people working away from their normal workplace, and it is seen as being one of the main means by which car based commuting can be reduced, thus leading to environmental benefits and lower levels of congestion at peak times on the roads. Much of the debate has been concerned about the potential benefits of substantial changes in journey to work patterns and not the actual behavioural changes, which are normally much more complex and subtle. This study has brought together the latest evidence on the scale of teleworking in the UK and elsewhere, exploring the possible real behavioural responses, including the rebound effects, changes in home location and the increased use of the car for other purposes. It has developed a full costing approach to measuring the benefits to the company, to the individual travellers and the additional costs of working at home. In addition to quantifying the energy and environmental factors, there are important social implications of teleworking. These range from changes in productivity, health, absenteeism, recruitment and retention, to external views of the company and its image. They also cover the individual quality of life, performance, stress, family and even the degree of personal control and responsibility. All these dimensions add interest and variants to the picture, but they need to be understood if the potential benefits of teleworking are to be realised.
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