The French, at least those who would have the possibility, will not all return to telework.
The fifth epidemic wave is here but the government, at this stage, has no plans to review the rules currently in force.
At the end of the consultation of elected officials this Thursday noon, the Minister of Health and Solidarity, Olivier Véran, explained, preferring to make the choice to "reconcile freedom and responsibility" rather than to constrain.
This announcement, or rather this non-announcement, does not really come as a surprise.
Admittedly, the Scientific Council, in its last opinion, had recommended a “massive” recourse to work at home.
But the Minister of Labor Élisabeth Borne had not really left in doubt as to the government's position on this issue.
Visiting the headquarters of L'Oréal in Clichy on Monday, she had contented herself with calling on companies to remobilize on the respect of barrier gestures within French companies.
While adding all the same the impossibility of excluding in principle "answers for the future".
New changes to the health protocol
The health protocol in companies will still change slightly to cope with the fifth wave, especially with regard to the rules on collective catering and the organization of moments of conviviality, said the Ministry of Labor at the end. a meeting with the social partners. In terms of collective catering, "in the absence of a health pass in these places, and in the context of the resumption of the epidemic, we plan to return to a rule of two meters between each person at the table, as soon as the mask is not worn, ”the ministry said.
Regarding the moments of conviviality (departure and arrival drinks, etc.), the protocol will specify that these moments are "no longer recommended". "If they are all the same organized, they must be done in the respect of barrier gestures, and in particular the distance of two meters between each person when the wearing of the mask cannot be ensured", specified the ministry.
Recommendations on ventilation, a measure "essential to prevent situations of the spread of the virus" according to the Ministry of Labor, were specified by the Minister of Health.
“Aeration is an effective means of eradicating virus particles in the air.
If you have a meeting that lasts an hour, you open ten minutes, even if it's cold, ”said Olivier Véran.
“Wherever necessary, it can be useful to install carbon dioxide sensors in the air,” the Minister also added.
Many rule changes
In recent days, the employers have taken care to take a stand against the systematization of teleworking. Tuesday on BFMTV, the boss of Medef Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux did not hide his hostility to compulsory teleworking, implemented recently in Austria or Belgium. He increased the same evening while traveling to Plougastel-Daoulas, in Finistère. “For some employees who cannot telework, the image of teleworking is a bit like the gland! ".
Since the onset of the health crisis, the use of teleworking has been the subject of considerable debate. In theory, the government cannot legally compel a company to force its employees to stay at home. But the government had found the trick by integrating the use of teleworking as part of employers' obligation to ensure the health and safety of their employees during an epidemic. Consequently, a control of the labor inspectorate made it possible to sanction a business manager for endangering the lives of his employees if their presence on the premises of the company was not essential.
On June 9, the government put an end to this "systematic teleworking" by asking for the negotiation of collective agreements aimed at establishing a minimum number of days of teleworking.
The rule of the minimum number of days was lifted on August 31 to give companies the possibility of negotiating their own framework.
