Telework and its effects in Brazil

This chapter aims to improve knowledge about the diffusion, performance and potential of telework carried out by workers using information and communications technologies (ICTs) outside Brazilian employers’ premises. The search for new work models is a potential source of competitive advantages, telework being one of these new stars. Through access to secondary data, cases and examples, collected in extensive research and following the International Labour Organization (ILO) methodologies, we describe important benefits, problems and success factors regarding telework, which are always dependent on ICTs and leadership support. Owing to the lack of official data, the incidence of telework must be calculated indirectly based on the combination of other surveys. Results show that 16.2 per cent of the Brazilian workforce participates in telework. Important factors such as the correlation among type of organization, type of job and intensity of the incidence are described, as is what is important from the employees’ side to increase the possibility of successful implementation. The chapter also presents advancements in Brazilian legislation and work regulation systems, showing the several law projects, ordinances and other measures that legally support telework. Conclusions highlight the importance of telework to the social and economic development of an emerging country such as Brazil.