In Belgium, these announcements sparked numerous reactions, as well as questions and fears regarding teleworking. It must be said that with the global COVID-19 pandemic, teleworking has become widespread across the world. With the exception of irreducible societies which still resist this now well-established phenomenon.
This is the case of the Desobry biscuit factory, based in Tournai, which has faced numerous crises in recent years, whether the pandemic, the energy crisis, the surge in the price of raw materials as well as the surge in prices. chocolate.
gullYou can’t run a business well when people are working from home.”
“Even during the Covid period, I quickly asked everyone to come back. We have to get back to basics: people in production have not stopped working, and productivity has not stoppedsays Thierry Huet, CEO of this beautiful Walloon “success story”. For us, teleworking is over: we cannot manage a business well when people work from home. If you want to understand, it’s simple: the customer is king. When exporting internationally and working with large clients, it is essential to respond quickly, within a few hours or at most in one or two days.”.
More and more companies are asking their employees to return to the office: “I would rather resign than lose my teleworking days”
Injustices between workers
The boss of this important SME believes that the survival and prosperity of a company relies on its development, and not on the creation or implementation of teleworking and recalls how essential team spirit is. Informal exchanges, such as those in the cafeteria or in the corridors, are, according to him, very important and managing thousands of details via Teams or remotely would be a “real disaster”.
“Today, logistical requirements require constant exchanges; a small error can complicate everything, explains the boss of this company which has conquered more than 40 countries thanks to its Belgian biscuits, combining traditions and creativity. People who ask for teleworking therefore do not meet my needs. And if it doesn’t correspond to the requests of a person who applies to us, too bad. Others did not accept this vision and preferred to leave. However, I offer my employees much more than teleworking: development, autonomy, internationalization and skills acquisition. That’s the DNA of the company, not working remotely three times a week.”.
According to Thierry Huet, it is also a philosophical question: why should workers come in person day and night while others could stay at home?
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“In our opinion, this is something unfair and unacceptable, deplores this 68-year-old business leader. It is important to put your staff on an equal footing. And personally, I am not ready to constantly check if each other is available. I would rather quit than manage employees who want to telework. Moreover, those who wish should become independent and find clients from home. I never followed trends and, at first, I was perceived as someone who was not modern. Today I am very modern, especially compared to American trends like Amazon. I am not here to be fashionable, but to ensure the survival and development of the company, by providing added value. Collaboration between departments, particularly with sales teams, is essential. This is the strength of a society.“
