At the height of the crisis, Statec found that 69% of the Luxembourg workforce was telecommuting as part of the country’s emergency response. The proportion has since fallen but it remains part of the pandemic strategy--a June report from Luxembourg research body Liser recommended maintaining remote working practices to avoid a rebound.
What is more, the lockdown teleworking experience appears to have gained converts--a petition for the right to work half of one’s contracted hours at home exceeded the 4,500-signature threshold needed to prompt a parliamentary debate. With fiscal agreements with neighbouring country authorities in place until the end of the year and infrastructure now in place for many employers, the barriers to teleworking are falling away. Of the four people we spoke to, all accepted that teleworking had its place in the world of work. But, is it viable in the long-term?
Florence Auquier was among the first to volunteer to return to the office, but since 26 October, like most of her ING colleagues, she has reverted to remote working. Photo: Mike Zenari
Changing hearts and minds
For some, the lockdown changed their minds about teleworking. “We had someone in the team that was previously against it. But he didn’t have a choice and when he started working remotely he actually discovered that he enjoyed it and now he’s considering taking a work from home day every week. I think I will do the same,” said Florence Auquier in September. Now, like most of her colleagues at ING she is back to working from home following the advice issued on 23 October by the CSSF.
Luxembourg for Finance's Nicolas Mackel, meanwhile, is happy to be back in the office. Given the choice “I would prefer to stay here” but with the present restrictions in place, he would let other staff continue to work at home “if that is their preference”.
“Obviously, I think everybody has discovered that teleworking is not only nice, but it is possible. It’s not, to me, a permanent solution, as in five days a week.” Certainly one day a week or four days per month “is a given” for Mackel, but more than that “starts to be difficult in organisational terms”.
In terms of user experience, eBay's Pia Raves has embraced teleworking and in a post-pandemic world hopes to maintain this habit up to two days per week. “Because it gives me more time to do other stuff besides work. That’s important to me,” she said. While physical contact with colleagues was limited and indeed Raves had just one physical meeting with her team over six months, the virtual meetings enable her to connect on a more personal level, especially when a colleague’s child joins a call. “It’s really nice that you get to meet the family members. I’m invited to the living rooms, and kitchens and wherever a person has their desk. And I’m inviting them to my kitchen.”
Eximius Luxembourg director Djillali Sadki, pictured below at the coworking office Spaces, was not short on praise concerning Luxembourg’s swift response to the pandemic and economic relaunch but for the recruitment side of his work, face-to-face interaction was preferred. He admitted he felt some frustration “because I’m someone who’s very positive. I want to move forward, and this situation is lasting a long time.”
Djillali Sadki is frustrated by the duration of the pandemic. Photo: Mike Zenari
Mental health considerations
A 2017 United Nations report found remote working increased stress and reduced wellbeing in four out of ten workers. With the added challenges of social isolation, difficulties in switching off and general anxiety about job security and personal health, one cannot discuss teleworking without addressing mental health questions.
Some employers are ahead of the game. Ebay, for instance, developed a mental health support package and hotline for its staff. Even so, it’s a delicate balance to strike and Raves acknowledges the pitfalls. “With the home office and the flexibility, it’s nice. The other side of it is the feeling that you have to be always available. It’s really hard to turn off.”
Awareness appears to be growing among leaders and employers of the need for greater empathy and understanding. Mackel said that rings true not just for coworkers but also for clients and professional contacts who also need space. “We are working with human beings, not machines.”
A May survey from Unmind and the Reward and Employee Benefits Association found eight in ten had experienced a rise in requests for mental health support, and 88% reported discussions around employee mental health had increased at senior management level. It suggests that employers are finally addressing issues that for years have been brushed under the carpet since the survey found that 88% of respondents believed that mental health support would receive greater backing from their board and senior management teams as a result of covid-19.
In Luxembourg, the mental health of workers was deteriorating before the crisis. In the 2019 “Quality of Work Index”, 18% of respondents said they felt at risk of burnout, up on previous years, while 27% reported a conflict between their work and personal life. Women tended to report greater difficulties in reconciling work and private lives (50% of women compared to 38% of men).
Pia Raves, pictured, will work from her home in Trier, Germany, until the end of 2020. Photo: Mike Zenari
Lockdown impinged on individual wellbeing levels differently. Although it does not directly mention teleworking, the second “Come-Here” survey recording population wellbeing since lockdown found that in Luxembourg the higher the number of adults and children in a household, the higher the self-reported stress levels. High levels of loneliness were also reported among Luxembourg singles, people living apart and individuals in households with three or more children. In addition to workload, stress, isolation and childcare responsibilities are therefore important elements to consider in the teleworking experiment.
Greater efficiencies
The shift has brought with it work efficiencies for some offices. Auquier said her department at ING actually managed to simplify processes for other colleagues. “For instance, we used to send paper faxes. But with covid people were not in the office to actually pick up the faxes. So, we streamlined processes and went digital.”
Luxembourg for Finance took their time developing new digital products but, in retrospect Mackel, pictured below, said “I would probably have gone into switching to digital very quickly, rather than focussing on doing it right.”
He reckoned that after restrictions are lifted, Luxembourg for Finance will continue to hold conferences and informational sessions online, leaving physical events, particularly those held abroad, dedicated to networking.
Nicolas Mackel, pictured, says that after restrictions are lifted, Luxembourg for Finance will continue to hold conferences and informational sessions online. Photo: Mike Zenari
Environmental impact
Raves stressed the potential “big sustainable element of working from home” as a widespread, long-term practice. While there was a drop in emissions due to changing commute habits as a result of lockdown, a recent global study found it will have a negligible impact on the climate crisis. Seven months on and as infection fears prompt commuters to choose private over public transport, the quiet of the country’s roads feels like a distant memory.
Bruno Magal of KPMG’s Automotive Institute told Delano back in July that the importance of private car ownership had “significantly increased”, and the institute said people were willing to spend more money to feel safe. A KPMG survey conducted in April found 64% of consumers intending to purchase within six months said covid-19 had influenced their perspective on leasing or purchasing a vehicle, out of which 47% were more likely to buy/lease and only 41% were less likely to buy/lease.
Another trend that could emerge from the homeworking shift is families moving from urban to less crowded, rural areas. “As a result, having a car becomes a necessity rather than a luxury. Private and public players need to work together in order to find the right solutions in the long run,” Magal said