In March 2021, the Renault Group and global manufacturing union, IndustriALL, signed an agreement addressing the principles applicable to remote working arrangements. The agreement applies to Renault’s global operations, and is an addendum to its global framework agreement with IndustriALL on worldwide minimum employment conditions. Unions and management will be required to decide on local implementation details, and locations that do not have employee representation arrangements will have to incorporate details into their workplace policies. IndustriALL hailed the agreement an “important milestone” that it would like other companies to follow, and confirmed its intention to finalize similar arrangements with other industry sector unions it represents. 

Highlights

• Remote working arrangements must meet the needs of employees and the business.
• Remote working must be offered to all business lines and roles by using information and communication technologies. A list of roles that cannot be performed remotely will be updated annually, based on objective criteria. 
• Employees in industrial roles also should be able to work remotely due to the “acceleration of digital transformation,” and Renault will publish a list of such roles.
• An approach to remote working comprises a minimum remote working period (estimated at two days per week), and work that should be carried out at a company location (estimated at 20% of an employee’s monthly working time). An employee’s decision to work remotely must be voluntary, with managers individually discussing the employee’s willingness to do so. Employees will be allowed to reverse decisions, and managers and team coworkers can agree to modify working time and remote working arrangements for a specified time period. 
• Employees can work remotely from their own home or from another location, but must have good internet connectivity and the company must ensure they can do their work “without technical difficulties.” Employees who want to work in another country for periods exceeding one month must seek the approval of human resources. Remote workers must be provided with the equipment necessary to perform their tasks “as if they were working on-site.” Local bargaining will determine if any allowances are to be paid to cover “additional expenses” or the purchase of equipment.
• Remote workers can adjust their working hours “in the event of a specific situation” (for example, due to sharing their workspace with family members), subject to their manager’s agreement.
• Measures aimed at respecting work-life balance include several occupational health and safety matters, and the right for employees to disconnect from work outside their normal working hours and during periods of leave. Managers can take training to help them recognize hyperconnectivity issues that could arise with individual employees.
• Good practice guides will help remote employees work “under the best possible conditions,” and will cover such matters as the optimal organization of working spaces, good work organization principles, ergonomic issues and employee well-being. Trial initiatives could be conducted to help management, employee representatives and unions assess the effectiveness of different remote working arrangements. Privacy measures include the arrangements for recording remote meetings. 
• Local management, employee representatives and trade unions must agree on the arrangements to allow unions to hold discussions with the employees they represent, and a memorandum of understanding will set out campaigning procedures applicable to all representation arrangements.
• Managers are responsible for organizing their team’s workload and working time, allocating work, ensuring remote workers do not become isolated, and the integration of new coworkers.
• Local committees comprising management, unions and employee representatives will monitor the agreement’s application and implementation of remote working.

Related resources

• Text of remote working agreement (IndustriALL, March 2021)
• Press release (IndustriALL, 29 Apr 2020)
• Press release (IndustriALL, 9 Jul 2019)