Lhe news is full of examples, studies and surveys which show that more and more employees are questioning a certain work organization. There is even talk of a certain epidemic of laziness in the workplace, according to a recent study by the Jean Jaures Foundation. The reasons for disenchantment are numerous and often legitimate.
Waiters working in difficult working conditions and for a salary deemed insufficient; executives who spend a good part of their day complying with rules and procedures they see no need for; administrative officers lost in the maze of successive reforms. Behind a questioning of the world of work that seems to be shared by many employees, there are various and sometimes opposing demands.
This is particularly the case when employees of the same company demand remuneration that is more indexed to results; while others demand the abandonment of certain activities in the name of the fight against global warming. To historical demands on wages and working time (through the retirement age in current debates) are now added demands relating to ecological and social transition.
Claims that are difficult to reconcile
As such, studies on the subject show that the company’s ecological commitment is an increasingly important element for employees, even if it is not a priority. The demands of employees thus seem to be divided between the defense and the reinforcement of the achievements of the 20th century.e century and new demands in line with contemporary issues. This is the famous tension between the end of the month and the end of the world.
Both types of claims are obviously legitimate. They have always existed. We certainly work to earn a living, but, at the same time, we also work to belong to a group or to feel useful. However, in a context of unprecedented environmental and social issues, this tension takes on a new meaning. It illustrates the complex and transformative period in which we find ourselves, with, on the one hand, demands that go hand in hand with an economy based on growth and the unlimited exploitation of planetary resources.
On the other hand, demands that seek to give substance to a sustainable economic and organizational model that appears to be unavoidable, but which remains to be invented. In fact, these two categories of claims are difficult to reconcile. For example, efforts related to the energy transition are incompatible with the increase in purchasing power, as noted by economist Michel Plane.
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