The Delta variant poses a new threat to the prospect of a return to the office at 100%, for jobs carried out in telework (total or partial) for nearly a year and a half. “In view of the figures and the risks, we no longer envisage a total return to the site in September, as we had planned before the summer period, but to continue teleworking, as we did before the summer, as a precaution, around two days a week “, explains Audrey Richard, president of the National Association of Human Resources Directors (ANDRH).
At the headquarters of the clothing brand Kaporal, which has 140 people, the possibility of teleworking two days a week will continue after the end of September, “Whether there is the Delta or not” : “We must continue to protect our employees, we are still in a period of forced teleworking”, says its HR Director, Emmanuelle Germani. End of June, the rules had been relaxed to facilitate the massive return to the office, but many companies had projected the real return to normal in September.
“Large or medium-sized structures have in mind to stay in a hybrid model, with a reduction in the number of days of teleworking at the start of the school year”, Marie Bouny, LHH consulting firm
After several confinements and deconfinements, many of them had yet predicted that the Covid-19 epidemic would play overtime. “Companies that anticipated a total return to normal were very optimistic, says Marie Bouny, co-director of the Strategy and social performance team at LHH, an HR consulting firm. Even normality has changed: overall, large or medium-sized structures have in mind to remain in a hybrid model, with a decrease in the number of days of teleworking at the start of the school year. “
“There will be no hardening of the rules”
The insurer Axa, already used to teleworking before the crisis, has opted for a division of the teams into two over the course of the on-site returns, first on a voluntary basis, then on a mandatory basis from the 1er July : “The red teams come on site Monday and Tuesday, the blue teams Thursday and Friday and Wednesday every other week, describes Sibylle Quéré-Becker, director of social development, diversity and inclusion. The Delta variant doesn’t change our plans. “
For the moment, it is the corporate health protocol for the month of June that prevails: each company must determine, through social dialogue, a minimum number of days of teleworking per week for the activities which allow it, with a recommendation to two days a week. At the Ministry of Labor, which is currently consulting the social partners, we are reassuring: “There will be no hardening of the rules”, especially because the vaccination is progressing. The generalization of the health pass to all companies is also excluded. The June protocol could be extended if the health situation requires it, or the government could give the groups carte blanche.
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