What is telecommuting? A closer look at this new way of organizing work for employees

Everyone talks about telecommuting, but do you know exactly what it means?

Introduced into the French Labor Codein 2012, it has been booming in recent years, finally exploding in 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic: it's now common practice. Telecommuting has become the only way to continue working while protecting employees from the epidemic.

What is the definition of teleworking? Who is entitled to telework, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of this organizational mode? Is it compulsory to telework in 2021? Let's find out!

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What is teleworking? Definition

In Article L-1222-9, the French Labor Code defines telecommuting as :

any form of work organization in which work that could have been carried out on the employer's premises is carried out by an employee away from these premises on a regular and voluntary basis, using information and comon, using information and communication technologies, within the framework of an employment contract or an amendment thereto.

Code du travail

Telecommuting refers to an employee's ability to work from a location other than his or her company's premises. It is not a right, but must be agreed between the company and the employee.

Telecommuting can be implemented either through :

• a company agreement,
• a telework charter co-drafted with the CSE,
• an amendment to the employment contract,
• an agreement between the company and the employee, in any medium.

It can take various forms:

• full remote, i.e. the position is 100% teleworked,
• a certain number of days per week,
• flexible, with alternating periods of telecommuting on a full-time, mixed or totally in-company basis,
• more recently, telecommuting imposed on all positions that could, by health conditions.

👆 Please note: telecommuting is distinct from nomadic work, which refers to work done outside the company at clients' premises, such as consulting firms.

Who is entitled to telework?

Any profession whose tasks can be carried out from home using new technologies, without interfering with the company's normal operations, is eligible to telework.

This is generally the case for highly digitized service sector professions, whether in the private or public sector: developers, web copywriters, digital marketing, UX designers, graphic designers, accountants, HR professionals, etc.

This corresponds to 4 out of 10 jobs, or around 8 million positions (according to the French Ministry of Labor).

Over and above the "teleworkable" nature of the job, it is also essential that the company agrees, and that both parties agree on the terms and conditions. However, if the employer refuses, he must give a reason.

💡 Please note: barring exceptional circumstances, it is not advisable to offer teleworking for internship or apprenticeship contracts, as this hinders the opportunity to discover the overall workings of a company.

Telecommuting: advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

✅ Here are some of the advantages of teleworking.

For the employer :

• cost savings by switching to desk sharing or flex office
• reduced absenteeism and lateness,
• increased productivity, since 86% of teleworkers claim to be more productive than in the workplace (according to an analysis by Obergo on the impact of teleworking in 2018),
• elimination of recruitment constraints, mainly geographical. With telecommuting, we can recruit profiles from different regions or countries, and even more easily call on a disabled worker who can more easily work from home.
• Improved employer brand, as telecommuting is a sign of trust and attractiveness, particularly among the younger generations,

For the employee :

• saving time and money by eliminating the commute to the office (according to an IPSOS study, this represents around 80 minutes extra free time per day, and €124 extra purchasing power per month),
• mobility: if the health context and the company allow it, it's possible to work from a location other than home,
• improved concentration, thanks to the absence of the sometimes noisy open-space environment,
• reduced stress and fatigue, mainly thanks to the elimination of commuting and extra sleep time, and sometimes also to the distance from a stressful work environment,
• greater autonomy in planning and scheduling, enabling a better work-life balance,
• greater well-being thanks to better conditions and a balance between professional and personal life.

💡 On a more macro level, telecommuting helps to revitalize the region, reduce carbon footprints and ease traffic congestion.

Disadvantages

❌ Here are some of the disadvantages and risks of teleworking.

For the company:

• increased cybersecurity risks,
• lack of visibility and control, which can lead to abuse or increased surveillance,
• difficulties in communicating with employees,
• sometimes significant investments in tools.

For employees :

• ill-adapted workstations that impair health,
• work environment that is not conducive to concentration (animals, family, work, etc.),
• risk of isolation and lack of contact,
• weakening of the boundary between professional and private life when teleworking is carried out from home.

💡 Telecommuting is not in itself a good or bad thing. The conditions under which it is set up and organized will either favor the advantages or the disadvantages. As Bertrand Duperrin says in his article XXXX:

Telecommuting doesn't create new problems per se, but it does bring to the fore all the dysfunctions of the office. Distance reveals an organization's weaknesses.

Tips for successfully implementing teleworking

Implementing telecommuting in your company is a real corporate project, and one that you must not neglect if you are to succeed.

If, like many companies, you had to implement telecommuting overnight during the economic crisis, it's never too late to rectify the situation and install a more sustainable telecommuting mode that promotes well-being and productivity.

Here are a few tips:

• formalize teleworking arrangements in writing with your employees,
• take inspiration from our teleworking best practices,
• make sure you take into account the well-being of your teleworking employees,
• and equip yourself with the right teleworking tools.

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New law on telecommuting: Covid-19-related measures

The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic is one of the cases of force majeure or exceptional circumstances listed in article L.1222-11 of the French Labor Code. In the current situation, telecommuting can therefore be imposed by the employer on the employee without his or her prior agreement, as this ensures business continuity while guaranteeing the protection of all concerned. Once again, this applies only if the position and tasks concerned permit.

In addition, the health protocol is regularly updated as the situation evolves.

Here's how things stand in 2021:

• full teleworking is the rule, and must be applied whenever the job is teleworkable,
• if only part of the job is teleworkable, telework can be partial,
• since January 7, 2021, employees have the right to request 1 day a week of face-to-face work (with the employer's agreement),
• action plans must be proposed and implemented in companies located in the areas most at risk.

Keep up to date with the latest legislation and government recommendations, to ensure that your business runs smoothly while protecting your employees.

And what about you? What do you have in place for telecommuting? How often does your company do it?