Homeworker

Homeworkers or home workers are defined by the International Labour Organization as people working from their homes or from other premises of their choosing other than the workplace, for remuneration, which results of a product or service specified by the employer. There are an estimated 300 million homeworkers in the world, though because these workers generally function in the informal economy, and are seldom registered and often not contracted, exact numbers are difficult to come by. Recently, the phenomenon of homework has grown with increased communication technology, as well as changes in supply chains, particularly the development of Just In Time inventory systems.

Homeworkers differ from entrepreneurs, or self-employed, or family business, in that they are hired by companies for specific activities or services to be done from their homes. Homeworkers do not own or operate the business they work for. Though there is a significant body of highly skilled homeworkers, particularly in information technology, most homeworkers are considered low skilled labour. Recently, working conditions have worsened for homeworkers, and they are becoming a point of concern for international development organizations and non-governmental organizations.

References

*"Global trade and home work: closing the divide" by Annie Delaney, Gender and Development,Vol 12, No 2, pp 22-28, July 2004
*"Home Work Convention C177, 1996" by ILO, available athttp://www.itcilo.org/actrav/actrav-english/telearn/global/ilo/law/iloc177.htm
*"Organising home-based workers in the global economy: An action-research approach" by Ruth Pearson, Development in Practice, Vol 14, Nos 1&2, pp136-148, February 2004

ee also

*Sweatshop

External links

* [http://www.homeworkersww.org.uk/ Homeworkers Worldwide (HWW)] ] Homepage
* [http://www.demotech.org/d-publications/designA.php?d=77 Homework defining concept and discussion page] at "Demotech".