Issues on the future of remote work

Early adopters prior to the health crisis, telecommuting became part of employees daily life during the lockdown periods. But what will be the outcome of telework after the crisis? The delegation to the prospective of the Senate organized a round table with several experts to enlighten the topic. It tried to imagine the future of telework in the next 15 years through 8 questions.

Will everyone be remote worker in 2050 ?

The answer is definitely no. Although telecommuting has grown at exponential rates since the health crisis, only a minor fraction of jobs can be conducted remotely, between 30 and 50% as reported. In addition, work will likely alternate between face-to-face and remote.

Will telecommuting generate more economic growth ?

Telecommuting can certainly have a positive impact on productivity in the long run (5-30%), but this depends on how it is implemented. It can lead to disorganization of companies and loss of competitiveness if it is adopted without preparation. The effect will also be more advantageous for creative tasks and for voluntary employees.

Is there a risk of new relocation of jobs with telework ?

According to the reporters, telework does not necessarily result in new relocation of jobs. The actual risk is rather a relocation of national teleworkers who are more and more numerous wanting to work from abroad. This is because of tax or personal reasons. A policy of residential attractiveness of France must be put in place to avoid this.

Is telework a step backwards or a step forward for society ?

On the one side, telework can bring new social challenges, such as inequality of workers, isolation, motivation loss, workload and working time increase… However, on the other side, it offers multiple advantages to employees, such as transportation cost savings, better balance between private and professional life, employees’ autonomy development…

Will we leave the towns for the countrysides ?

It is still too early to get exact figures, but many teleworkers will be moving from the cities to the countryside in the coming years. Their numbers depend on how telecommuting is applied. If it is used only one day a week, the movement could be low.

Will our environment be made better ?

The impact of telecommuting on the environment is positive. It improves air quality significantly by reducing travel with a reduction in CO2 emissions in the range of 1-3%. On the other side, it could bring an increasing digital footprint, e-waste and non-work travel.

Are we going to be overly dependent on IT tools ?

Telecommuters need powerful computing equipment to be successful at teleworking. However, this practice puts them at risk of both IT security and dependence on corporate IT. Cybercriminals see telecommuting as a real opportunity to hack into the corporate IS.

Will telecommuting create a cultural revolution ?

Yes, the success of teleworking depends on negotiating a cultural adjustment between employers and employees. Indeed, direct exchanges in the professional world will be disturbed by telework. It is therefore important to establish a new management model based on trust within the companies.
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