Renault welcomes its 1,000th teleworker

On February 29, 2012, the French government passed the Warsmann act, making teleworking from home part of national labour law. Undeniable proof that this new form of labour organization is now an integral part of the business world. Renault addressed the issue some years ago. In 2007, it signed an agreement on teleworking with trade unions, becoming one of the pioneers in its sector of activity.

Five years on, the number of teleworkers at Renault has reached the 1,000 mark. Several facts may be noted:

- Today, teleworking concerns 258 functions and activities

- Teleworking concerns approximately the same proportion of men (52%) and women (48%)

- And a similar proportion of managers (46%) and employees/technicians (54%)

- The average age at which employees opt for teleworking from home is 42.5

- 38% of teleworkers have chosen to work from home one day per week, 45% two days, 13.5% three days, and 3.5% four days.

“ The environmental factor is significant in teleworking, since the 1,000 employees concerned avoid a total five million kilometres in home-work travel per year ,” explains Eric Couté, head of corporate teleworking at Renault. “ Looking beyond the lower carbon emissions and the expansion of modern working methods, such as the paperless office and the use of collaborative tools, this form of organization also cuts the risks linked to home-work travel .”

Renault has developed and put in place support tools to help and advise employees on their teleworking project, from the initial idea through to practical implementation (two months on average). This “preparatory” guide helps employees to assess, for example, their intentions and the feasibility of becoming a teleworker, depending on the type of job they do, the possibilities of fitting out their home for working, their family and professional constraints, etc. The guide also comprises an e-learning module to acquire the IT skills necessary to use Renault’s collaborative tools. It also serves as a basis for discussions with the employee’s immediate manager, who must approve the approach.

According to the calculations of external teleworking experts, employee productivity rises by 15%. “ Our internal surveys show that this form of labour organization, based on mutual trust, contributes to motivation and enables employees to improve living comfort while increasing their individual and collective efficiency ,” concludes Eric Couté.