A commotion in companies where preparations for D-Day are already being carried out. feet at the office for a year, will open a new stage. That of relief for some, a source of concern and fear for others. “On this date, we lift the constraints of 100% teleworking,” announces Élisabeth Borne, the Minister of Labor at Parisien-Today in France. A suprise ? Not really. A month ago, in a meeting with the social partners, the Minister warned, specifying, however, that this lifting would take place "when the indicators are good". Here we are ! The health situation is improving.
The draft health protocol sent this Thursday evening to the social partners for consultation - they have until Monday to return to this text - signals the end of strict government instructions. No more five days out of five imposed for activities that can be carried out entirely remotely. “We are helping employers and employees to determine the number of suitable days, but it is not a question of giving up telework! This practice remains recommended to fight effectively against the pandemic ”, warns Élisabeth Borne.
And to formulate how she sees things: “We really need a gradual return to the workplace.
As a benchmark, the number of telecommuting days will drop to three days in the public service from June 9.
This must be the starting point of an impetus to find the right balance between face-to-face and distance, and to put in place new practices ”, continues the Minister.
"An employer who would force his employees to return to the site 100% would violate the protocol"
In the next world, the number of days of teleworking for private sector employees will therefore be tailor-made, and decided within the framework of "internal social dialogue", specifies the new health protocol which will be put online in the middle of the week. next. How will this play out in concrete terms in companies? From Monday, discussions will be able to start upstream, between management and HRD on the one hand, and unions and employees on the other. “The national inter-professional agreement (ANI) of November 26, 2020 for the successful implementation of teleworking constitutes a useful reference framework for its implementation. As such, employers set, within the framework of local social dialogue, a minimum number of teleworking days per week, for activities that allow it, ”indicates the protocol.
Read also Employees do not want to return to the office as before and are inclined to telework
Some companies have already taken the initiative and signed agreements, but they are still too few: only a few thousand according to our information.
And those who would ignore it?
"An employer who would force his employees to return to the site 100% from June 9, would violate the protocol," said Minister Élisabeth Borne.
The unions could then seize the labor inspectorate.
Regarding the rest of the health protection measures, nothing really changes. Wearing a mask, barrier gestures and cleaning the premises remain compulsory. The distances between colleagues or people present in the company are fixed at one meter against two meters in the previous protocols. For collective catering, "we are going to align ourselves with the rules of restaurants", specifies the Ministry of Labor. Thus, canteens should have a 50% occupancy gauge applied, while respecting the imposed distances of one meter between each person. As for moments of conviviality in the company, they will be authorized provided that barrier gestures are respected and the mask removed only when “toasting” with colleagues ...
