Published on 12 November 2024
Now a common practice in many companies, remote work is more or less accepted by employees. Advances in technology, the importance of working environments and work-life balance are all key issues in the remote work debate. Chantal Ammi, a professor at Institut Mines-Télécom Business School, has studied the acceptance model of remote work.
The challenge of remote work lies in its acceptability. The exploratory study carried out at several companies entitled “ COVID-19 and the future of teleworking: employees’ perception and acceptance” examined the status of managers and of employees. It focused on the COVID-19 context, working environments and work-life balance.
The first part of the study, focused on managers, revealed that habits are primarily dependent on age, habits and experiences. The second part of the study also highlighted the challenges of continuing to manage a team remotely. “Remote work developed amid COVID-19, in a time of stress, worry and fear. And in the end, not everyone was prepared,” says Chantal Ammi, a professor at Institut Mines-Télécom Business School.
Another finding was the central importance of the working environment. There is a direct impact between well-being and success, efficiency and working conditions. “From a management perspective, the executives who had the best remote work experience were those who did not have family obligations, had good housing arrangements, or had already been used to it and had a good knowledge of computer tools,” the researcher says.
The second study looked at employee acceptance of remote work. It was much better among employees with high technological skills. The people who frequently used innovative tools were already used to working remotely. However, unlike managers, “for employees, staying at home, not having to travel and not having to pick their children up at school was a positive aspect,” Chantal Ammi says. Remote work was therefore less negative for employees than for managers.
Another aspect to be considered is productivity. Managers believed that remote work would have a negative impact on productivity. On the contrary, a confirmatory study based on a survey of employee perceptions of remote work, showed that productivity was positive. In the study, 68% of 202 respondents from companies stated that remote work has had a positive impact on their productivity.
Remote work involves the use of technological tools, such as video conferencing and collaborative work software, which requires sharing data via servers. According to the study, unlike employers, this did not significantly affect employees. They felt confident enough to share their data.
“All they needed to dispel their fears was a computer and a stable Internet connection with firewalls,” the professor explains. People who lived far away from their workplaces were rather satisfied with the situation. The same was true for employees with children, especially preschool-age children. There were fewer difficulties for those with children in middle school or high school.
It is possible to envision a future in which remote work is required and widespread among all companies. Very few companies would operate on an in-person only basis, unless required by the profession. Yet some managers do not want this, usually because they want to see their teams and employees and avoid feeling cut off from the rest of the world. “Remote work therefore appears to be a means for the socialization of work. The hybrid option therefore remains the ideal arrangement, with a few in-person days depending on the type of business,” Chantal Ammi suggests.
One of the limitations of the hybrid format is the right to disconnect. It is sometimes difficult to know when it’s time to stop when you’re in the middle of something, especially for certain tasks that may exceed working hours. The researcher points out that “many companies try to warn about sending emails during the weekend or evening. But it is then up to each individual to remain vigilant, because the issue is more related to personal choices and self-organization.” It would be better if employees avoided asking things after a certain hour and on holidays. To ensure this doesn’t happen, others would also have to refrain from responding during these periods.
Whether it be for managers or employees, verifying people’s real needs before imposing remote work on certain days is essential in ensuring that it is possible for them. “Some people might not have a stable connection or a quiet place to work. Rather than being required, it should be offered as an option,” Chantal Ammi says.
The acceptability of remote work seems simpler for certain professions. It is easier in urban areas than in rural ones, partly because of connection challenges or quality. Yet acceptance varies depending on each individual’s personal circumstances. In any case, there is currently no threat of in-person work being completely replaced by fully remote conditions due to our needs to maintain human connections and avoid isolation.
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