Since 2020, due to the impossibility of attending to provide tasks, the world has seen a rapid digitization of labor relations
By Alejandro Andrés Golob (Grispo Abogados – Commercial Law Department)
02/22/2023 – 9:25 a.m.
In August 2020, within the endless quarantine imposed by the government as a control measure against the Covid 19 pandemic, the Teleworking law 27,555. It was born late: since March of the same year, the impossibility of attending to provide tasks terminally harassed companies and put thousands of jobs at risk.
Within this context, the idea arose that remote work would be the rule, with face-to-face being the exception, regardless of the extent of the pandemic. This premise was not raised only at the national level, but was a global idea. Voices arose that maintained that the economic world had changed in an unavoidable way and that remote employment would bring cost reduction and therefore growth. Clearly none of this happened outright.
At no time was the real business cost studied when it came to reformulating the way of working, that is, of “setting up” an office for each employee
Let’s analyze the following: the employer must provide the equipment, hardware, software, work tools and the necessary support for the performance of the tasks. From now on assume the costs of installation, maintenance and tool repair or worker compensation by using your own tools. Clearly, the employee cannot be expected to bear the expenses described. Unfortunately, it was never considered how the employing company would face the logistical cost of solving and resolving the issues listed.
Clearly, what is stated here is not a position against teleworking, since each company must know the best way to organize their tasks. Even remote work, in a hybrid mode, is offered today as an attraction in the search for talent, but it does not translate into an unavoidable improvement within all organizations, success or failure will depend on the business culture and the claims of its human resources.
On the other hand, it seems that no “guru” was able to observe the immediate effect on the economy of demobilizing not hundreds, but millions of working citizens from the streets.
At no time was the real business cost studied when reformulating the way of working
The impact of teleworking on the economy
The phrase “the new normal” was repeated over and over again, but it was clearly not normal to live in isolation, with a lack of interaction. Each office, factory, business, etc., forms an economic ecosystem. Going to work “moves” the economy, expands the need for external services, professional advice from third parties, meetings, lunches, purchasing clothing, food, holding events, etc. Thousands of businesses were destroyed seeing that their clients simply no longer existed. The impact on the real estate market did not go unnoticed either, the drop in prices still hits homeowners today.
This directly affects employment and consumption, both of which form the virtuous core of the economy. It even hits the voracious coffers of the state, which collects less due to the drop in consumption.
According to studies by Addeco and Santander, teleworking made it difficult to form work teamsnot a minor issue in the current economic labor market, where several goals, objectives and results are qualified globally, beyond the individual.
In summary, by omitting to analyze the economic aspects that affect global business activity, it will be difficult to migrate to a 100% remote labor system, beyond those decentralized technological activities. It will be necessary to reconcile a new labor law and business tax agreement that will allow economic relations to be modernized.
