Factors related to this increase include advances in information technology and communications, employee demand for greater flexibility in work patterns and wider acceptance by employers of working at home as an alternative to centralised workplaces. Women's involvement in home work is due not only to their family responsibilities, which tie them to the home, but also to their weaker position in the labour market' 1 . The ABS collects information on employed persons who work at home through the Survey of Persons Employed at Home. People who work any hours at home are included in the survey, but only those who usually work more hours at home than elsewhere, in their main or second job, are classified as employed at home. In this review, they are referred to as home workers .
Benefits Working at home can offer benefits to employees, employers and society as a whole.
Home workers, whether employees or self-employed, enjoy benefits including no commuting time or cost, an increase in family contact, greater flexibility in working hours, convenience, and decreased levels of stress. For the self- employed, there are tax advantages and substantial savings in overheads in working at home. Employers benefit through savings in overheads, increased productivity, greater retention of skilled personnel, and decreased absenteeism and staff turnover 2 . Home work may also increase employment opportunities for disabled workers. The home environment is likely to be already adapted to the special needs of disabled workers.