Coronavirus: confined telework seduces, but reveals its limits

Telecommuting? I tested, I liked it, I want more, but in moderation! This is in summary the conclusion of the latest study by the health and provident insurance group Malakoff Humanis on teleworking during confinement. According to a survey carried out by the CSA with 1010 employees in the private sector between April 15 and 20, almost four in ten French people (39%) have teleworked since the start of confinement, including 62% over the entire working time. For one in two teleworkers, this is a whole new experience.

A score of 7.9 / 10

This experiment has brought down a lot of reluctance and fear if we are to believe the barometer since 73% of these online employees wish to have the possibility of continuing after confinement. They even gave a rather satisfactory mark: 7.9 / 10. It is a little less than last November (9/10), but at the time, for the vast majority of interested parties, it was a chosen way of working.

Most believe that this mode of remote activity has made them gain autonomy and has enabled them to better combine professional and private life thanks to flexibility. More than seven in ten people say they have been able to adapt their schedules to their personal constraints. "75% of companies have played the game of flexibility and confidence, that's why it works", analyzes Anne-Sophie Godon, director of innovation at Malakoff Humanis.

43% have no dedicated space

Some (54%) believe, however, that they did not receive sufficient support when setting up homework. And it would not have been a luxury knowing that 43% say they do not have a suitable workspace, and 48% are facing technical difficulties. In the end, however, 73% said they were satisfied with the procedures put forward by employers. "Within a very tight deadline, companies revealed real flexibility and accelerated their digitalization on this occasion," continues Anne-Sophie Godon.

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Under what conditions is this remote work carried out? 92% of confined teleworkers work from their main residence, half of them in a house. 46% live in a couple with child (ren). They work mainly in the service sector (45%) and in a company with more than 250 employees (65%).

Degraded mental and physical health

But this rather flattering picture hides the limits of the exercise. 30% of teleworkers believe that their psychological health has deteriorated. Four in ten find it difficult to combine professional and personal life time and almost half (47%) say they find it difficult to work when they have to take care of children. Another negative observation: disconnecting from work in these conditions is "difficult" in 45% of cases. Finally, family tensions appeared in 28% of households. “This assessment is explained by the exceptional period, wants to put the director of innovation into perspective. Before, people teleworked two days a week. With confinement, 50% telework full time and 50% work with at least one child at home. We are not in ordinary telework. "

Physical health is not at the party either: "Half of the confined assets declare to have reduced their physical activity while work exposes all day long to unsuitable postures", worries the director of innovation by Malakoff Humanis.

Social ties that are too virtual

Finally, there is the delicate question of social ties. Certainly, 75% of online employees have at least one contact per day with their hierarchy, but the quality of this link is not satisfactory. “28% of contacts are made by email, 24% by SMS and only 20% by phone and 16% by videoconference, specifies Anne-Sophie Godon. There is therefore a problem with the quality of the social bond which must be corrected. "

Integrate the changes

Telework is not going to stop on May 11, with deconfinement. And many teleworkers have acquired new habits, have become independent, have changed their organization. "It will have to be taken into account. This will be the next challenge for companies: knowing how to integrate everything that this period has validated as effective practice, ”concludes the director of innovation, who announces two other waves of polls on the subject of telework.