For the hard-pressed commuter, time spent travelling to and from work during rush hour can feel like time wasted.

As a result, being able to work from home, or even en route to a business meeting, appeals greatly to many as a way of maximising time actually spent doing their jobs.

But what does teleworking, or e-working as it is also known, involve and which types of work does it best suit? "Basically, teleworking is working for a client or employer at a distance, with that work being delivered using electronic equipment," says Ms Nana Luke of Telework Ireland, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to mainstream teleworking as a way of working and doing business in Ireland.

"It allows access to a huge pool of skilled people, independent of location. As it is very often project-based, it can also allow skills to be used in a much more efficient way."

Ms Luke's company, Bealtaine, was recently awarded the contract to translate the documents of the upcoming Irish Presidency of the EU on the Government's website.

As most translations will be from English to Irish, and English to French, she says, teleworking allows her firm to employ people from all over the world, including Irish translators based on the Aran islands.

Yet the most recent figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show only around 2.3 per cent of the workforce teleworks, compared with around 7 per cent in Britain and 9 per cent in the US.

While there is some debate regarding what constitutes a teleworker, the relatively low numbers of people categorised as such here has led some to suggest that this is due to Ireland's relatively low rate of high-speed broadband roll-out and internet access. Yet these figures also indicate there might be some resistance among employers to the idea of employees working from outside the office.

Mr Pat Delaney of the Small Firms Association (SFA), which represents small businesses in Ireland, believes teleworking has proved itself to be hugely viable for businesses.

"We've seen in the past number of years that what employers want is flexibility and productivity. If you are trying to maximise the productive day, there is no point in taking workers out of their homes unnecessarily," he says.

"Teleworking increases productivity, especially in particular types of job such as data management, or anywhere there is a time zone difference."

He does, however, acknowledge a sense of isolation for employees working from home is a concern for employers. As a result, the SFA recommends that its members ensure their teleworkers spend at least one or two days per month in the office. This can also have ease fears about a lack of supervision of employees.

"It is important that the jobs you choose can be easily gauged, and are easily quantifiable," he says. "Some supervisors feel there is an element of control taken away from them. Asking teleworkers to spend some time in the office provides supervisors with the opportunity for face-to-face conversations. The employee also gets to feel they are a part of what the company is all about."

One example of a well-known firm which has introduced teleworking among its staff is Aer Rianta, the airport operator. At present, seven of its employees work part of the week in the office and part from home.

"It's a tremendous idea, and there are a lot of benefits to it," says Ms Rose Rafferty, human resource training and organisational development manager with the company. "It is part of our overall strategy regarding work flexibility. It's a dual process. You are working with the person - the teleworker - as well as customers. It also suits our business needs, as the types of job involved are often office-based."

She also says that deciding to allow staff to telework requires a good deal of preparation on the part of the company involved.

Questions such as who will meet the costs of installing the necessary equipment, such as computers and fax machines, as well as making IT systems compatible and undertaking health and safety assessments all have to be taken into account.

According to Ms Phil Davidson, a human resource data analyst with the firm, however, the benefits of being able to telework at Aer Rianta, particularly as a mother with young children, is clear. "I get up and log-on at home. I would check my emails. Because of the type of work I do, I would have certain things I have to do, so you know what you have to do," she says.

"I am online to work directly, so it is as if you are in work but not physically there ... I find that I am very focused when working at home, I have a job to do and there are no interruptions.

"It is definitely an enhancement of my particular job. It slows down the pace of your week," she believes.

"Two days a week, you don't have to face the traffic. You are doing things at your own pace, really, something which I can only see as a positive."

Useful websites:

www.telework.ie

www.ework.ie

www.etd.org.uk

www.fas-netcollege.ie

www.ctc.ie