After two years of existence, teleworking is no longer a dream

What if teleworking wasn’t the panacea? Two years after the epidemic forced millions of Europeans to work from home, a kind of fatigue seems to be spreading among many French, Germans and Italians. This is the result of a new study conducted by Allianz-Trade* in its three countries and more than 3,000 employees were interviewed. While respondents continue to appreciate the reduction in travel times and the flexibility of this way of working, they point to the loss of social ties and the disappearance of barriers between work and private life.

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Disabilities that do not prevent the further development of telework. The number of respondents who declare that their workdon’t allow them» Keep your distance, reduced in the three countries (between 2 and 6%). At this level, however, major differences remain. This impossibility of teleworking affects a minority of Germans (41%), but a majority of Italians (51%) and French (54%).

A system that has its limits

But the number of employees who mostly want to stay at home is stagnating or even declining. This is the case on the other side of the Rhine, where only a fifth want this driving style (compared to a quarter in the previous year). In Italy this figure stagnates at around 15%, while in France it is increasing but remaining at a lower level (around 10%).

Because if the benefits are now known, employees seem increasingly aware of the limitations of working from home. First, the lack of interaction is highlighted by nearly 30% of respondents. But also the mixing of work and private life, an unsuitable place of residence at work or even the loss of productivity.

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There is no standard telecommuting format that works for everyone. For example, the study points to inequalities in access to the internet or proficiency in digital tools that are likely to create inequalities and amplify the learning or promotion gaps between employees. Considerations that are not always well integrated by companies that do not necessarily take specific actions when developing their new work organization.

*The study was conducted between May 20th and June 10th, 2022 in France, Italy and Germany with 3,200 people.

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