Home Work in Selected Latin American Countries: A Comparative Overview

This publication is part of series of studies that explore the practice of working from home in Latin America. The studies investigate the number of workers involved in working from home, the profile of the workers, and the legal framework that governs the practice. Various opinions and attitudes regarding this style of work are used in the studies. All countries were found to have a significant and increasing proportion of workers operating from home although such work is not a legally recognised practice in many of the countries. This publication focuses on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Peru. The methodology varies between participating research teams. The author provides an overview of the nature of home work, before analysing home work practices in the selected countries. The study reveals that home work is used in labour-intensive industries and modern industrial industries as well as services industries. The legal aspects of home work are outlined, and the author finds that laws pertaining to home work in the selected countries provide an inadequate framework for workers.