Wearing masks becomes mandatory in the workplace on September 1st, except in individual offices, announced the Minister of Labor, Elisabeth Borne, this Tuesday.
Employees will now have to wear their masks everywhere they might encounter others. This applies to open spaces and open offices.
The Minister of Labor based this decision on an advisory from the High Council of Public Health dated August 14th, regarding the transmission of the coronavirus by aerosol.
The Minister of Labor also encouraged employers to promote remote working.
During the confinement period, with remote working widely implemented, employees discovered they could work without commuting from their homes.
With the advantage of reducing both the commute time and their carbon footprint*… since they no longer took cars or public transportation.
On average, in France, the commute time is 37 minutes, which amounts to over an hour round trip (often 2 hours in the Paris area!).
Moreover, 73% of remote workers would like to continue working remotely after the lockdown. However, nearly a third feel that remote work has deteriorated their physical and mental health.
The issue is that while remote work has undeniable advantages, it is not ideal for everyone. For example, an executive with a spacious 200 m2 house will not work in the same way as a young couple in a 50 m2 apartment. Not to mention the possible presence of young children.
Therefore, the debate remains open but deserves to be approached with pragmatism so that the world of work—coronavirus or not—takes these new parameters into account.
