With confinement, teleworking has become widespread but its effects are still poorly understood – Canva / 20 Minutes
- While the second wave of the pandemic is threatening in France, beyond the wearing of a mask in business, telework is likely to play overtime.
- While many employees have discovered the virtues of remote work, on the business side, the benefits in terms of individual and collective performance are not automatic.
- In high doses, this organization of work even has “potential negative effects”, notes the OECD.
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This is the other measure, arguably more popular than the compulsory wearing of a mask, to stop the spread
of Covid-19, which is accelerating. While the
Ministry of Labor is to announce this Tuesday the evolution of health rules in companies, the
telecommuting will remain “recommended” especially in “areas of active circulation of the virus”, the government has already announced. In the event of a worsening of the pandemic, it may therefore return to the start of the school year, or play overtime in companies that have maintained it this summer.
Something to rejoice those who have seen their telework dreams come true for the first time during confinement. But not necessarily companies, which have reasons to remain hesitant about the benefits of this organization of work on performance.
“Scientifically, it is unfounded that teleworking improves productivity,” explains Amélie Dudezert, professor of management at the University of Paris-Sud. “We do not ask for teleworking to be more productive,” recalls Jean Pralong, professor of human resources management at EM Normandie.
No coffee machine
While some employees say they are more productive in teleworking, the OECD nevertheless notes, at company level, “potential negative effects” which must be “imperatively” counterbalanced by increased level of employee satisfaction so that teleworking is accompanied by an increase in productivity.
“Teleworking removes information from employees, gives rise to fewer interactions than at the coffee machine; the requests being more formal, it takes more time to understand them; the breaks we take at work distract less than when you stop working to tidy up the room or empty the washing machine, ”lists Jean Pralong, who also underlines the time dedicated to coordination between each other, since the schedules are not synchronized.
Less conducive to training
In its study which reviews the scientific state of the art around teleworking, the OECD confirms, for example, that “face-to-face meetings are conducive to more efficient communication than are other forms of communication. ‘remote exchange such as email, chat or phone’. We are thus more convincing and we mobilize more attention.
Another point raised by the OECD and not the least: if it prevents them from interacting properly with colleagues, “teleworking could slow down the process of acquiring skills through practice”. And at company level, innovation processes, unless you have a perfect mastery of digital collaborative tools, are disrupted by remote work, which is a brake on the circulation and sharing of knowledge.
Fatigue and all-out messages
Although it saves transport time, teleworking is not neutral either for the health of workers, which has an impact on productivity. “In teleworking, the employee works more intensively, so he gets tired a lot more. There is also fatigue linked to concentration on computer screens, ”adds Aurélie Dudezert. Tranquility – an often sought-after goal – is not always guaranteed. “You have to repeat the same thing several times, hence the proliferation of WhatsApp-type groups which, moreover, are not really secure. We recover in efficiency but we are overwhelmed by notifications, ”she continues.
In the end, to maintain productivity, you have to work more. Teleworking also generates no more stress because it is necessary to justify that
we work well while being remotely, according to Jean Pralong. We must also find a
balance with personal life, put to the test during confinement. “We are more tired of teleworking, because in a company, you have lots of breaks, unnecessary moments. This requires a form of self-organization which is usually taken care of by the company ”, also recognizes Benoît Serre, general secretary of ANDRH and associate director of the Boston Consulting Group.
Isolation may also eventually wear out these employees.
Open space remedy
However, 2/3 of HRDs expect “productivity gains” from teleworking, according to a recent survey by ANDRH and the Boston Consulting Group. Despite its shortcomings, would telework therefore retain its potential? “When you set up real teleworking, you are forced to reduce reporting systems, to increase employee autonomy. Teleworking makes it possible to change management models, to eliminate the small bosses, to establish a more empowering management. This generates motivation and confidence, which is one of the driving forces behind performance, ”explains Benoît Serre. Not to mention the possible gains on surfaces, which also enter into the balance.
What may also explain the craze for teleworking, despite its shortcomings, is that it corrects previous problems, such as difficult journeys between home and work in the densest regions or poor working conditions in open spaces bruyants or in binding flex offices.
A good dosage to find
When it really allows you to concentrate better, teleworking can be a real plus, underlines Aurélie Dudezert. “To increase productivity, teleworking must be discussed in teams: we need clear rules, know what we do in telework, how, and what limits we set,” recommends this expert. According to the OECD, to get the best benefits from teleworking without suffering an excess of inconvenience, everything is therefore in the right mix of remote work.
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