2017

The Telework agreement enters into force

After long, fruitful experimentation, the telework agreement of Audencia Business School formally entered into force on February 28, 2017. Delphine Lambert, Director of Human Resources, has patiently built this agreement to obtain the widest possible buy-in: “We conducted a long experiment – more than nine months, straddling 2015 and 2016 – with about 30 volunteer employees, holding various positions at our various sites. We have involved our staff representatives – the agreement is necessarily a joint one – to ensure real buy-in from all of the stakeholders.” All of the cases have been tested (oppositions and drags, expectations and demands, etc.), analyzed and enriched by a benchmark of other companies’ agreements. For Delphine Lambert, the priority was not to reach consensus at all costs but to obtain the best agreement for the 300 employees of the institution, without harming its overall efficiency: “We took into account the new requirements and new ways of working –from home, nomadism, and so on – and have proposed many exploratory possibilities. Our aim was to offer great flexibility without disrupting the working process of the departments.” From now on, all Audencia employees can telework at a pace and scale agreed by and between the applicant and their manager. “The effects were not slow in coming,” as underlines Delphine Lambert. “We have noted – and measured – a better balance between private and professional life. Feedback on the time spent in transport is decreasing and savings are now being made with regard to childcare costs.” No triumphalism, however, the HRD ensures: “For the time being, this agreement works very well, but we are staying vigilant and attentive to any friction that may occur. It is up to us to support managers and employees so that they can find the best possible balance.”