PARIS - Teleworking has become a permanent feature in working practices. Based on a new online survey which collected responses from seven countries, gain insights into the relationship between workplace teleworking policies, trust between managers and teleworkers, and the impact on employee experiences.
Key findings
•Telework is more common when firms have teleworking policies in place.For example, in firms which consult their employees on teleworking, 87% of them telework –compared to only 61% of employees in firms that have no policy of consulting workers.
•In turn, teleworkers report better work experiences when they are covered by workplace policies, such as the right to disconnect or being consulted on telework. Average levels of satisfaction with one’s job, work-life balance, mental and physical health are all higher among teleworkers covered by such policies.For example, 79% of teleworkers who are consulted about teleworking are satisfied with their work-life balance, compared to62% of those who are not consulted.
•Work place teleworking policies are also associated with higher levels of trust between teleworkers and their managers. 89% of teleworkers who are consulted about teleworking report the presence of workplace trust, compared to 59% of those who are not. Similarly, 86% of those who have a right to disconnect report workplace trust, compared to67% of those not covered by such a right.
•Teleworking policies, workplace trust and teleworking take-up appear to be mutually reinforcing. 67% of full-time teleworkers and 55% of hybrid workers say that teleworking fosters workplace trust (compared to 34% of those who never or very rarely telework).About 50% of full-time teleworkers and 37% of hybrid workers report a great deal of trust in their firm, compared to 27% of those who never or rarely telework.
•Employees highly value the ability to telework. 82% of those who are currently teleworking said that they were prepared to quit their jobs should they no longer be allowed to telework.
•Despite these positive associations, many workplaces still lack teleworking policies.For instance, close to 30% of hybrid workers, and 25% of full-time teleworkers,say that there is no worker consultation on teleworking in place in their firm.Coverage also varies by country: 64% of respondents in Switzerland report having a right to disconnect, compared to just 35% in the UnitedStates; and financial support for relevant IT equipment essential for digital collaboration is least frequently reported in Australia (44%) and most frequently in the Netherlands (65%).
•While women tend to work from home more often than men, women who telework report lower levels of policy coverage than men. For instance, 52% of men say they can telework from abroad, compared to 36% of women; 57% of men report having a right to disconnect vs. 51% of women.
•Policy makers could play a role in promoting the adoption of workplace teleworking policies.Possible avenues include: dedicated legislation at the national level to ensure that teleworkers have a right to disconnect, or that employers bear part(or all)of the IT costs associated with teleworking; collective bargaining to help establish or clarify teleworking policy frameworks; and workers’ consultation on the subject to raise awareness of existing national level policies. In addition, the public sector could set an example by mainstreaming teleworking policies for public sector workers.
For moe information, visit: https://www.oecd.org/employment/Teleworking-workplace-policies-and-trust.pdf?utm_campaign=ELS%20Newsletter%20April%202023&utm_content=teleworking-trust&utm_term=els&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Adestra
