It’s a fact: teleworking, which only concerned 7% of French workers before the Covid health crisis which led to a massive and full recourse to this new work model, has revolutionized the business world and is now completely generalized.
In a report of February 23, 2023, the French High Council for Equality between Women and Men (the “HCE”) questions the impact that the now institutionalized teleworking can have on gender equality.
This new way of working has the disadvantages of its qualities: the reduction in commute time and greater autonomy in the organization of working hours can create confusion between professional and personal spaces and therefore between professional and domestic tasks.
If inequality pre-exists in the domestic sphere to the detriment of women who experience a significant mental load, teleworking will ultimately only aggravate such inequality.
The time saved due to the now non-existent commute can lead to isolation which can in certain cases encourage domestic violence.
The greater autonomy in the organization of working hours can sometimes result in a sneaky extension of the time slots dedicated to work (23% of women declared having seen their working hours increase during confinement, compared to 15% for men ) – a new practice consisting of immediately responding to a call or message to prove that one is working at home, thus creating a latent feeling of guilt and a desire for constant over-performance. This last point applies to both men and women, but it becomes particularly damaging for the latter, if they are the ones who already bear the mental load of the household.
The confusion of professional and personal spaces can amplify their pre-existing physical and mental fatigue and can penalize their professional career in the long run.
According to a study issued in February 2021 (one year after the start of the Covid health crisis) by Ipsos and the consulting firm Boston Consulting Group:
- women are 1.3 times less likely than men to have an isolated space (during lockdown, 51% of women teleworked from the living room, compared to 39% of men, according to the report of the HCE),
- women are 1.5 times more likely to be frequently interrupted when working remotely (during confinement, 44% of women with children under 16 indicated that they were unable to work in peace compared to 31% of men, according to the report of the French HCE), and
- women are 1.3 times more likely than men to experience anxiety.
Teleworking is, for women, a very specific issue that must be considered carefully.
Every woman who teleworks must validly ask herself to what extent this new working model impacts her daily life, her physical and mental health or not. Some have thrived working remotely, but if not, one may want to consider the following solutions:
- telework from another location, that is to say a workspace that is different from home and the office to avoid isolation and access appropriate working conditions – with the right tools and without interruptions by the kids,
- regularly return to the office to separate professional and personal life and to combat social isolation,
- grant oneself, when working remotely, the right to disconnect so as not to see the professional time slip beyond expected hours,
- discuss at home with the significant other so that the mental load is fairly distributed, and with the children – if there are any – so that they understand that they can approach both parental figures in an undifferentiated manner.
This is pragmatic advice but, let’s be honest I find it very poor because it only weighs on the shoulders of women and not society. But it’s still a start. The important thing is to be aware of the problem and the risks involved. Again, it’s a start.
Editor’s note. So here I am, leaving the office for an hour of photoshoot. I avoid at all costs teleworking because I believe in human interactions experienced face to face and I am tired of only being called “Mom” because, breaking news, I also have a first name. At home, there is no parental figure who takes over in my absence, everything weighs on me and I will not complain because it was and still is my choice. Am I exhausted? Of course. Am I happy? Hell yes. But I am well aware of how lucky I am to be able to live a life that is kind of coherent between what I think, what I feel and what I do.
Dior belt and coat (or dress – I really don’t know what it’s supposed to be) – Armani trousers – Chloé flat shoes – Monoprix scarf and jumper – Vintage gloves – Lanvin purse – Miu Miu sunglasses
November 15, 2024
