Half of French employees work from home, at least a few days a week. This is what the Senate Propective Delegation provides in a report that three senators from different political sides have just submitted. Today, 29% of employees practice it at least one day a week, according to a recent survey. As a reminder, before the health crisis 3% teleworked regularly and 4% occasionally, which capped the number of teleworkers at 7%.
According to the senators, by no longer reasoning by profession, but by tasks that can be carried out at home, half of the workers would have in their professional activities at least some tasks that they could do from home, which would place them at least one day a week at home work.
Senators believe that productivity could gain, especially for all creative work, more than for repetitive tasks. The report also considers that teleworking contributes to the deployment of digital technology and therefore to the modernization of companies, but it points to a risk of a digital divide. Not so much between the employees themselves since teleworking only requires basic digital skills, as between companies, SMEs seeming less well equipped to offer a digital environment, simple IT tools, conducive to teleworking. The Senate speaks of risk of “computer dictatorship” pointing out the danger of falling into corporate IT addiction.
According to human resources managers, companies that convert to 100% teleworking could be tempted by offshoring. According to Benoît Serre, the vice-president of the HRD association, France would be the first victim of this mode of organization, given its protective and costly social model.
With the key to the risk of job cuts: “If we have 100% teleworking professions, he warns, I do not see how companies would maintain their jobs in France. “