The main reason for the project initialisation was the fact that the Slovak Republic fell behind with implementation of flexible forms of work which can be used as a tool to fight discrimination and unequality in the labour market and help to harmonise work and family life.

Project "Your house – your company in e-europe" was set up within the
framework of the Community Initiative Programme EQUAL. The project provides employers and employees with information about the possibilities, advantages and also the potential risks of flexible forms of work, mainly telework. It also raises awareness about possibilities of use of telework among elderly people. In this way, the project aims to rise the percentage of interest and use of telework in the Trenčin region.
A development partnership was founded by three organisations – the Association for development of horna Nitra region (lead partner), the Trenčín Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Help the Aged Forum. These partners have a close connection with target groups of the project: Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and people older than 50.

Two studies among SMEs and elderly people were carried out, both aimed to uncover the level of use and interest in telework, the training needs, expectations, potential problems and doubts.

The basic component of the whole project is an information campaign. Two web-based portals were launched – www.tele-work.sk  and www.teleworkportal.sk. These portals provide information and visitors can search in a database with job vacancies and teleworkers CVs.

Within portal www.teleworkportal.sk, a training e-learning module is being prepared. Every two weeks, an information leaflet about different aspects of telework is sent to all subscribers (approx. 1000). There are plans to develop a methodology guide that will help to implement telework in organisations. A forum for discussion about telework has been founded in order to involve the stakeholders (employers, employees and expert) into the process of implementing telework in Slovakia.

The project has an innovative character and is based on a long-term information campaign. It is therefore to describe the results and its impact on new policies at this stage.

In addition to the carried out studies, which have shown some interesting facts about using of flexible forms of working, the main impact of the project is that telework and flexible forms of work are becoming the objects of public interest.

The project is financed by the European Social Fund (75%) and the state budget of the Slovak Republic (25%). The total budget of project is 308,872 euros.

This practice was presented at the Fourth Best Practice Conference New Horizons in Graz, Austria on 15 November 2006. The conference aimed at promoting exchange of experience and dissemination of best practice between authorities involved in the implementation on EU Structural Funds Programmes in Europe. It was destined to contribute to improving quality of implementation of Structural Funds on the basis of project presentations and visits.

ZRRHN
Jozef Takács (Project manager)

21/12/2004

case

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment > Working patterns

Remote working, Flexible working