Report of the e-Work Action Forum 2000

Link to the full report (347kb)

Introduction

I was very happy to accept the Minister's invitation to chair the e-Work Action Forum as I have long believed that e-working can give business in Ireland a competitive edge in this new millennium, and plays an important role in how companies operate in our rapidly developing digital economy.

Advances in technology can facilitate the growth and globalisation of business but realising and grasping the advantages offered by these technologies is a matter of strategic and business acumen. In comparison to many other countries, Ireland has a smaller, less bureaucratic State machinery, a flexible and light regulatory environment for ebusiness and a computer literate skilled workforce. We, therefore, have the opportunity to achieve a leadership position in the exploitation of technology to improve not only business competitiveness but the quality of life of our citizens. The creation of an environment which will lead to the development of e-working as a means of contributing to economic growth, while simultaneously improving quality of life, is fundamental to the work of the Forum. Through the realisation of certain focused measures to encourage the uptake of e-work and the willingness of the Government to adopt and encourage e-work friendly initiatives in its own work style, we have the capacity to build an economy where both employers and workers can benefit. Employers can gain a more productive, more flexible workforce and employees the opportunity to achieve a better work/life balance through the flexibility offered by e-working.

This Report sets out the activities of the Forum in its first year of operations and charts the considerable progress achieved to date in the furtherance of the e-work agenda. These achievements could not have been attained without the commitment of my colleagues on the Forum and I would like to thank them for their very active and constructive participation. However, much still needs to be done if Ireland is to achieve a leadership position in e-working and this Report indicates the priorities set by the Forum for future work to achieve this ambition.

William Burgess
Chairman e-Work Action Forum