L’Usine Nouvelle – Why were you interested in employee autonomy?
Pascal Lokiec – Surveys show that 72% of young people are attracted to self-employment, which is confirmed by my discussions with my students. But they are not always aware of the difficulties of this status, nor of the advantages that salaried employment brings, on which our social protection system is built. Wage employment repels them because of the bond of subordination that defines it and seems to leave no room for autonomy. For it to remain attractive, autonomy must be introduced.
Some employees have too much, others not enough, you say…
Sometimes the autonomy is configured incorrectly. She seems unconstrained as she creates new ones. Executives on day packages have a lot of freedom, but this is accompanied by work on objectives, which is formidable, especially when these objectives are difficult to achieve. As for teleworkers, they sometimes have no autonomy, but restricted schedules and increased supervision.
The “second line” professions or production workers, who are not very autonomous, will be less and less so with robotization. In warehouses, workers are increasingly obeying the voices of robots, without the slightest possibility of discussing the order given! Those in production are subject to new surveillance technologies, like teleworkers. We absolutely must find spaces for autonomy in these professions too. Young workers want it as much as young executives! The industry which questions its attractiveness would do well not to neglect these very high expectations.
The link of subordination rests the power of direction, control, and sanction. Should we give it up?
This triptych is frightening because it leaves no room for autonomy. For autonomy in employment to develop, we must move away from this idea of subordination. The employee software has not evolved enough.
How to offer more autonomy?
We must first tackle the working conditions: hours and location. In French law, the approach to power is very vertical: the employer decides, the employee can contest. This logic should be reversed, giving the employee the ability to decide on their working conditions, with the possibility for the employer to refuse. The English do it, with flexible work. A second aspect concerns work. Employees for whom objectives are set must participate in their definition, this is the only way to make them want to work. Finally, autonomy also means involving them in determining the company’s strategy, because their work will be organized to respond to it.
What is the employer’s interest?
The result is more motivated employees, who can better reconcile professional and personal life and are more innovative. Numerous surveys show this. The company will become more attractive, especially for young people. Many no longer hesitate to accept a pay cut to move to an employer who offers them more autonomy. #
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Source: www.usinenouvelle.com
