Intellectual Property Law

The Internet Creates Job Opportunities for Particular Members of Society

By IBLS Editor

Social studies report that a small group of individuals have become Internet addicts and this addiction isolates them from family and society.   Yet, internet addicts are a very small group of society and their addition may be linked to individual characteristics more than to the Internet itself.  Instead, more common sociological effects of the Internet use show that it creates corporate efficiency and services, keeps employees and employers communicated, provides an additional communication source for family members, opens the door for unlimited information and resources, and more importantly, provides job opportunities new and simpler ways of doing business for individuals in certain sectors of society: retired, housewives, students, disabled, among others.   This article informs on how Internet is helping some specific sectors of our society in finding jobs and new working opportunities.    

Some statistics show that about 18 million Americans are currently working from home thanks to the Internet.  Similarly, a survey by IDC Consulting Firm recently reported that small-and-medium size online retailers have increased from 21 percent to 32 percent.   The report shows that e-commerce entrepreneurs like housewives are establishing online retail stores and using ?social shopping sites? like thisNext.com and StyleHive.com to market their products.  To incentivize this e-entrepreneur trend, companies like Yahoo created services like the Yahoo?s small business division to facilitate and improve users? merchandising. A great number of Amazon.com sellers are independent retailers. These e-entrepreneurs affirm that having one?s own business and working from helps the family income, increases family-shared time, reduces stress, and provides self pride for many who otherwise could not comply with a rigorous office schedule.        

Besides these venturous e-entrepreneurs, there are many others who have no other option but seek home-based jobs due to some disability. In the United States, there are currently many not-for-profit organizations with the specific mission of helping individuals with disabilities find home jobs.  For instance, the National Telecommuting Institute (NTI) provides education and job search services for Americans with disabilities.  NTI groups virtual employers (including government organizations) and vocational rehabilitation agencies so together they can provide online training and work opportunities for those with reduced mobility or any other disability. Most employees present a work history but some medical conditions forced them to leave their office jobs. Some of the Internet jobs NTI offers are customer service representatives, technical support agents, and medical transcriptionists.  NIT receives federal and state funds to train employees; thus, training is free. NTI also receives funds from private institutions like AT&T Foundation, the Fidelity Foundation, the Mott Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Education. Two of the most important employers working with NTI are the Internal Revenue Service (?IRS?) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).  Individuals seeking jobs with NTI are able to work from home with a voice and data connection, and they are monitored and supervised as any offline employee.  The program has helped find Internet jobs for 1.2 million American with disabilities.

As NTI states, many are the benefits of hiring disable individuals working from home. E.g., lower real estate costs, lower turnover, lower risk that sickness or storms cripple operations, greater schedule flexibility, and working force services in real time schedules, lower costs when hiring out-of-state workers, etc.

As NTI, there are other organizations helping individuals, not only those with disabilities, find Internet jobs they can perform from home.  Yet, users should carefully review the authenticity of those organizations.  As the Federal Trade Commission reported, ?work at home advertisers? is one of the areas with highest rate of fraud.  Government alliances, federal and state funding, and funding from major corporations is a good indicative of the seriousness of a company offering Internet jobs.  Additionally, Internet job-seekers should look for the Better Business Bureau logo or contact them for information on any company offering Internet jobs.     

Full post as published by IBLS Internet Law Blog on February 21, 2008 (boomark / email).