The announcement came as a hammer blow. Amazon’s decision to suddenly ask its employees to return to the office five days out of five is drawing attention. Beyond a policy that could mask a wave of layoffs, can we read a more general trend towards the end of teleworking?
According to Marie-Sophie Zambeaux, founder of the consultancy RethinkRH: “This is not an isolated trend, but a real fundamental movement coming from the United States and, more specifically, from Gafam.”
Amazon is not the only company to have made this decision. Others, such as Zoom (a video conferencing service provider) and Dell Technologies, have tightened the screws. But Caroline Loisel, a speaker and expert on the future of work, is more cautious.
Back to the office: a movement driven by innovation giants
What is surprising is therefore that this return-to-office (RTO) movement is mainly driven by American companies, previously pioneers of new management methods, in particular 100% teleworking or the elimination of middle managers. In 2022, Tesla surprised.
Suffice it to say, this doesn’t leave much room for remote work. In 2023, Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Meta, also stated that engineers “get more done” in the office, discussing the need to build “face-to-face” relationships.
How can we explain the fact that this return to the office is driven by technology companies? “It seems to me that some American companies have gone too far by putting their employees under house arrest and are now trying to change course,” says Caroline Loisel. “But the reason is also their sector of activity, they have to reinvent themselves more often than other sectors,” adds the speaker.
For Samuel Durand, a specialist and speaker on the future of work, this should be read as a desire for a return on investment.
A return to the office to enable creativity and collaboration
This forced return to the office among tech giants raises questions as it is likely to increase burnout and discourage potential recruits. An APEC study from 2023 indicated that one in two executives would consider resigning if the possibility of remote working was banned. During the first tightening of the screws at Amazon, 30,000 employees signed a petition against the return-to-office policy.
For managers, we can read a desire to return to the “command and control” system. Or a way to slow down the productivity of their employees for whom teleworking could be a source of distraction. “The real reason is the need for control, an emphasis on ego and a kind of nostalgia for the past way of working,” adds Samuel Durand.
But we can also see it, as Amazon manager Andy Jassy’s note indicates, as a reflection on collaboration, collective stimulation and the need for inventiveness. “The benefits of being together in the office are significant. We see that it is easier for our employees to learn, design, train and strengthen our culture; collaborating, exchanging and inventing are simpler and more effective (…).”
Even advocates of remote work acknowledge that creativity and collaboration are still easier in the office, even if connected tools now make it possible to remedy this.
Organizing engagement and learning
The possibility of learning from peers remotely is also emerging. “Companies that have left their companies working remotely have lost cohesion, have stopped learning from each other and are now paying the price. Learning from each other is best done in the office,” confirms Caroline Loisel. “In fact, transmitting remotely is more difficult, especially for younger profiles,” agrees Samuel Durand.
The downside of teleworking is, of course, the loss of informality.
In France, there is no turning back without taking a step forward
But this forced shift towards presenteeism did not occur in France. While Covid has made it possible to break down certain barriers, it has not made teleworking a standard mode of operation.France remains more refractory than other countries. In France, 47% of companies use teleworking. According to a study by the German economic institute Ifo and Econpol Europe*, French workers only work remotely for 0.6 days a week, compared with 0.8 for the European average and 0.9 for the world average. It is also worth recalling the statement made by the CEO of L’Oréal, who said at the Davos 2024 forum: “Teleworkers have “no attachment, no passion, no creativity”. France retains a certain culture of presenteeism “which is ingrained and reassuring,” notes Marie-Sophie Zambeaux.
In France, far from the extreme positions of “fully remote” or returning to the office, the practice of teleworking is moving towards standardisation, through teleworking agreements and company rules. It would rather be a question of adequately anticipating the risks of teleworking in order to allow participation and learning, even at a distance.
Source: BFM TV
