after Covid, teleworking is taking root little by little

At the beginning it was forced, now it has become standard practice. In one formula, Pierre-Axel Parodat, associate director of EPMO at La Chaussée-Saint-Victor summarizes how teleworking has become essential after the Covid-19 pandemic. “It’s more favorable in the service sector. A vast majority of professions require presence. I don’t yet know about remote cooking or telefunerals”quips Franck Bataille, boss of CPME 41.

Locally, companies are more measured than Amazon, which will force its 300,000 employees to work 100% face-to-face in 2025. “We are moving towards hybrid from now on”weighs Franck Bataille, also manager of Agitys, a digital services company. “This is a point on which it would be difficult to go back”recognizes Romain Francisco, human resources manager at CPAM in Loir-et-Cher, where 189 permanent contracts out of the 220 based in Blois do one to two days of teleworking per week.

“We quickly see if the work is not done”

Result: a better balance between professional and personal life, fewer journeys, more peace of mind when working and therefore “better quality of life at work”observe the managers. Who take care to avoid certain pitfalls. “We need to better identify what can be done remotely or not. Video training or meetings lead to fewer interactions »continues Olivier Ruthardt, HR director at Malakoff Humanis, which employs “nearly 1,000 employees” in Blois, where 75% are eligible for two days a week away from headquarters.

All insist on the necessary ” trust “ to be established. “Teleworking should not be seen as an escape from the office, otherwise we must deeply question ourselves. Teams, even remotely, must be united, with dialogue and information circulating”analyse Romain Francisco. “Tasks must be clearly defined. In a small structure like mine (70 employees) with the possibility of one day of social distancing per week, we quickly see if the work is not done”continues Pierre-Axel Parodat, boss of Medef 41.

“We must gauge the degree of autonomy of each person. Isolation can be catastrophic »warns Franck Bataille. Because if teleworking caused a loss of “productivity” and an increase in absenteeism, habits would soon be re-examined. At the same time, VSEs want to preserve, or even improve, the internal atmosphere.

For all ages

“We have a convivial routine, we meet around the coffee maker to chat. I like this proximity. Out of my ten employees, only two work remotely »he continues. The opposite dynamic, as at Malakoff Humanis, invites reflection to encourage teleworkers not to take the same days. “We have deserted workplaces on Monday or Friday with less noise and more spaces in the parking lot. We must invest in the quality of reception, with activities and entertainment”image his HR director.

At a time when the “teleworking” option appears on job search sites, being able to offer it is an asset to attract. “In the tertiary sector, if teleworking is not registered or initiated, a company loses attractiveness”observe Romain Francisco. “It’s a plus, but not a trigger: there is the salary, the social benefits… Teleworking is viewed by all ages, not just by young people”maintains Olivier Ruthardt.

Indeed, according to an Odoxa survey published in February, all age groups practice it (46% of 25-34 year olds, 37% of 35-49 year olds and 26% of 50-64 year olds) and hope that this “door open to adapting work according to the needs of the employee”dixit Pierre-Axel Parodat, perdure. A “personal development” inseparable from a “balance with collective performance”we assure at Malakoff Humanis.