“Agile” working – the gap between fact and legislation
A contribution published in journal Quaderni di economia del lavoro (Labour Economics Papers) encapsulates a clear analysis of the new forms of corporate organisation
“Remote” or “agile” working – either way, a new mode of working that, from the pandemic onwards, has challenged the organisation of factories and offices, as well as a new topic for discussion in terms of the continuous evolution of corporate culture. Fabio Pantano’s “Il lavoro a distanza dopo la pandemia: problemi organizzativi e soluzioni giuridiche” (“Remote working after the pandemic: organisation issues and legal solutions”), recently published in Quaderni di economia del lavoro, is a valid contribution to the debate, helping us understand the current state of play through an effective analysis.
Pantano starts by highlighting the fact that the disruptive arrival of COVID-19 allowed us to experiment with the main organisational issues that “remote” working engenders in terms of employees’ mental and physical well-being, their performance and the sense of achievement they feel for what they do. An operational mode that, in one way or the other, was already present in organisations but that the pandemic has pushed to the limits, bringing to the fore all its possible merits and defects.
The author then explains that a rational approach to these topics would require a radical change in organisational models, a shift from management systems based on control to a new approach focused on trust, autonomy and collaboration. Goals that, however, cannot be achieved due to the lack of appropriate legal provision – a provision that, according to Pantano, is clearly showing its lack of preparedness in this respect. In particular, the new policies implemented seem to be based on a traditional perspective dictating that real work is only carried out by employees physically present in the workplace. Indeed, Italian Law no. 81/2017 defines “agile” working as an individual agreement between employer and employee, ignoring the role that a collective agreement could play, while, on the contrary, at a European level, trade union agreements especially show a huge potential – though not as yet fully explored – to ensure that organisational issues engendered by remote working can be adapted to fit the peculiarities of each different production sector and company.
Thus, Fabio Pantano illustrates the gap existing between fact and legislation: on the one hand, markets, companies and the real economy proceeding along a path that seeks new solutions, both from an organisation and a cultural viewpoint, and on the other hand we have laws (as well as, often, short-sighted views from those in charge) that reiterate schemes and procedures that are now obsolete and inefficient.
Il lavoro a distanza dopo la pandemia: problemi organizzativi e soluzioni giuridiche (Remote working after the pandemic: organisation issues and legal solutions)
Fabio Pantano
Labour Economics Papers, 2021 Issue 113
A contribution published in journal Quaderni di economia del lavoro (Labour Economics Papers) encapsulates a clear analysis of the new forms of corporate organisation
“Remote” or “agile” working – either way, a new mode of working that, from the pandemic onwards, has challenged the organisation of factories and offices, as well as a new topic for discussion in terms of the continuous evolution of corporate culture. Fabio Pantano’s “Il lavoro a distanza dopo la pandemia: problemi organizzativi e soluzioni giuridiche” (“Remote working after the pandemic: organisation issues and legal solutions”), recently published in Quaderni di economia del lavoro, is a valid contribution to the debate, helping us understand the current state of play through an effective analysis.
Pantano starts by highlighting the fact that the disruptive arrival of COVID-19 allowed us to experiment with the main organisational issues that “remote” working engenders in terms of employees’ mental and physical well-being, their performance and the sense of achievement they feel for what they do. An operational mode that, in one way or the other, was already present in organisations but that the pandemic has pushed to the limits, bringing to the fore all its possible merits and defects.
The author then explains that a rational approach to these topics would require a radical change in organisational models, a shift from management systems based on control to a new approach focused on trust, autonomy and collaboration. Goals that, however, cannot be achieved due to the lack of appropriate legal provision – a provision that, according to Pantano, is clearly showing its lack of preparedness in this respect. In particular, the new policies implemented seem to be based on a traditional perspective dictating that real work is only carried out by employees physically present in the workplace. Indeed, Italian Law no. 81/2017 defines “agile” working as an individual agreement between employer and employee, ignoring the role that a collective agreement could play, while, on the contrary, at a European level, trade union agreements especially show a huge potential – though not as yet fully explored – to ensure that organisational issues engendered by remote working can be adapted to fit the peculiarities of each different production sector and company.
Thus, Fabio Pantano illustrates the gap existing between fact and legislation: on the one hand, markets, companies and the real economy proceeding along a path that seeks new solutions, both from an organisation and a cultural viewpoint, and on the other hand we have laws (as well as, often, short-sighted views from those in charge) that reiterate schemes and procedures that are now obsolete and inefficient.
Il lavoro a distanza dopo la pandemia: problemi organizzativi e soluzioni giuridiche (Remote working after the pandemic: organisation issues and legal solutions)
Fabio Pantano
Labour Economics Papers, 2021 Issue 113