Amazon, Rockstar Games, Ubisoft, or even Apple, there are numerous examples of companies forcing their employees to return partially or entirely to the office. Among the arguments used to criticize teleworking, some managers cite in particular the inequalities created by this mode of organization.
According to a preconceived idea, remote working would thus be an advantage for privileged employees who would enrich themselves even more by reducing certain costs linked to transport or housing. A new study published by researchers from the University of Nottingham, the University of Sheffield and Kings’ College London calls this theory into question.
The conclusions of this research
To see things more clearly, academics assessed the pay gaps between people working from home and those working on site. The idea is to find out what was the impact of these working models that developed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The authors are exactly clear on this subject. The shift to teleworking has in fact not led to any significant change in overall inequality, but rather “a substantial increase in average remuneration across the board”report the scientists.
According to them, working remotely can, in certain cases, reduce employees’ income. Except that this effect would be counterbalanced by potential gains, such as free childcare, or even access to a company car, specify our colleagues at Fortune.
Conversely, bosses who are hesitant about remote working seek to convince their employees to return to the office. This results in a small increase in salary for those concerned. In the end, these two trends almost cancel each other out and there is therefore no visible effect.
Quoted by the agency BloombergPaul Mizen, vice dean of the King’s Business School at King’s College London, concludes:
Some arguments suggest that companies should encourage or even mandate that their employees return to the office, and you could argue that if working from home increases inequality, that is a further argument in favor of doing so. Our research shows that this does not increase inequality, so we cannot use this as an excuse to get people back into the office.
A reflex to adopt when teleworking
As a reminder, there are some good reflexes to adopt when you are teleworking. In particular, it is advisable to stick to a fairly regular rhythm which includes lunch breaks and a real disconnection during the day. It’s about your mental and physical health. To find out more about this, do not hesitate to reread our dedicated article here.
