New labor culture
Telework in the federal administration bristles the right
Three out of four officials practice telework. An exodus that causes canteen closures and raises questions about productivity.
Teleworking now concerns 74% of employees of the Swiss Federal Administration.
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- Teleworking now concerns 74% of employees of the Swiss Federal Administration.
- The canteen of the Federal Office of the Environment firm on Friday due to lack of workforce.
- The Federal Council supports this flexibility to attract distant talents.
- An investigation into the effectiveness of telework will be carried out this year.
The future of telework in the federal administration is debated. According to an internal survey, 74% of federal officials work from their home or on the go, although the exact frequency remains unknown. This practice, which has become widespread since the Pandemic of COVID-19, arouses criticism from the right of elected officials, according to the RTS.
The consequences of this new work organization are already visible. At the Federal Environment Office, the canteen must close every Friday for lack of staff on site, as revealed “Blick». This situation illustrates the profound transformation of professional habits within the federal administration.
Productivity in question
Faced with this development, UDC National Councilor Thomas Burgherr has deposited a motion to limit this practice. “In my opinion, there is too much telework in the administration. The permanent availability of civil servants is not guaranteed. And when people are too much at home, team spirit is deteriorating. For me, this is something very important, “he said on Friday in the” 7:30 p.m. “of the RTS.
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Despite these criticisms, the Federal Council continues to encourage teleworking. In December, he pointed out that this flexibility made the Confederation more attractive as an employer, particularly to attract specialists residing far from Bern.
This strategy is deemed relevant by Christian Fichter, vice-director of research at the Kalaidos specialized high school. However, he nuances certain perceptions. “Many have the impression that they are more productive at home than at the office. This is not true. There are a whole series of reasons. The main thing is that when you arrive at the office, you enter a place that takes you on and puts you in another psychological role. At home, you still have too much distractions, “he said at the RTS microphone.
The question of the productivity of telework officials will be the subject of an investigation this year by the management committee of the Council of States, which will seek to assess the effectiveness of this practice in the federal administration.
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