Telecommuting is a matter of debate. For a discussion on the use of digital tools in a teleworking context

Abstract

At the time of the first confinement in March 2020, teleworking had developed rapidly and on a large scale. This new context changed the usual modes of coordination and called for the use of digital technologies to mediate working relationships. Our focus lies on the emergence of new operating rules during this period. Our research therefore aims to answer the following question: what role do digital tools play in the social regulations at work at the time of the transition to teleworking?
A qualitative methodology, based on 44 semi-structured interviews conducted in two organizations, was used to gather data from the first days of the confinement. These were a departmental council (Val de Seine) and a company producing neurosurgical equipment (Neurochir). Our methodology was adapted to the health circumstances, as we repeated a series of interviews on two occasions, resulting in a total of three phases of investigation, spread over a year. Our findings underscore the pivotal role of telecommuting tools and a regulatory process predominantly driven by individual initiative, thus limiting broader discussions beyond local contexts.
In the course of this research, we have highlighted changes in regulations and their effects. These range from a feeling of trust in the organization, to a feeling of increased control, to a perception that work is being intensified and dehumanised. Digital tools contribute in each case, in the absence of organized discussion at an institutional level. Our study advocates for deliberation on telecommuting regulations, particularly those concerning telecommuting tools, and proposes ideas for establishing discussion platforms. We offer some ideas for engineering discussion forums.