In 1943, the Athens Charter, formulated during the International Congresses of Modern Architecture (CIAM) and led by Le Corbusier, advocated a clear separation between living spaces and workplaces. This distinction has faded over time, since today the work environment is no longer confined to a single physical space. It extends to a multitude of places: corporate offices, home, coworking spaces, cafés, restaurants, train stations, airports, public transport, parks, among others.

This evolution is highlighted by the "Swiss Life Freedom of Choice Barometer 2023," which reveals that French people feel increasingly free in their choices over the years. In the professional sphere, this index also rose by 7 points in 2023 compared with 2022, with 32% of respondents saying they were free in their professional choices in 2023, versus 25% in 2022. This freedom notably includes the possibility of working entirely remotely, without being physically tied to company premises, a practice referred to as "full remote."

Among the motivations behind this choice are the desire to avoid commuting, save time, better balance professional and personal life, reduce one’s carbon footprint, and apply for jobs that are geographically far away.

But is full remote the only solution for improving working conditions? Can all companies offer it? Is working full remote the answer to professional well-being, or a source of new challenges? That is what we are going to examine in this article.

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Full remote: benefits at every level?

Geographical flexibility and time savings?

Being full remote means choosing your work setting: at home, in your favorite café, in a coworking space, in a hotel, in the mountains, at the beach, abroad… Employees are free to choose the space that suits them, as long as they can benefit from an excellent internet connection: an essential condition for working outside company premises.

Particularly suited to tertiary and technology sectors, full remote makes it possible to avoid long and sometimes tedious commutes. According to the Global Survey of Working Arrangements (G-SWA), workers who practice it would save an average of 72 minutes per day, precious time they can reinvest in their well-being, leisure activities, time with loved ones, or more rest.

An improved quality of life for everyone?

Beyond the freedom to choose one’s workplace and the possible reduction in commuting time, full remote can, for some people, improve quality of life. They see this mode as a way to start the day earlier or later, extend sleep duration, complete personal tasks during the week, free up more time on weekends, move away from potential open-space distractions, and leave large urban areas to reduce urban stress, enjoy a larger living environment, and lower the overall cost of daily life.

However, let us nuance this feeling, which is specific to each person’s personal situation and to individual perceptions of company premises. For an employee living in a small space and who does not have the possibility or desire to work in a third place or anywhere other than home, switching to full remote might not help. For someone else who has no real work areas at home, nor spaces where they can isolate themselves to make calls or join video meetings, working from home would be more of a constraint than an opportunity. For an employee who has grown fond of services offered on company premises such as a high-end coffee machine, comfortable furniture, a wide choice of nearby restaurants, a delicious cafeteria, a large green space, a breathtaking high view over all of Paris, group fitness classes, spacious areas, state-of-the-art equipment, team breakfasts, afterworks… in short, this person would see the switch to full remote as negative and feel more like a loser than a winner.

A reduction in one’s carbon footprint?

Working remotely may, at first glance, seem like an effective way to reduce one’s carbon footprint, mainly by eliminating daily trips to a distant workplace. However, reducing one’s carbon footprint is not automatic for remote workers and depends heavily on the lifestyle adopted after switching to full remote.

Take the example of an employee who, by adopting full remote, chooses to settle in the urban outskirts or in a rural area. While this decision may be motivated by a search for peace or space, it can unintentionally lead to increased dependence on more polluting means of transport, such as private cars. As less urbanized areas are often less well served by public transport, cars sometimes become necessary for most trips. Thus, although the daily commute to an office in the city is eliminated, the cumulative kilometers traveled for daily activities (shopping, leisure, various appointments) may match or even exceed previously traveled distances.

Moreover, full remote can lead to increased household energy consumption, particularly in terms of heating, air conditioning, and electrical equipment needed to work effectively from home. These often overlooked factors can significantly contribute to a remote worker’s carbon footprint.

A help for recruitment?

Working full remote has the advantage of eliminating the geographical constraint between one’s home and company headquarters, thus opening doors to more diverse talent. Geographic location ceases to be a limiting criterion, making access to more varied professional opportunities easier. This geographical flexibility allows a manager to manage teams spread across different geographic areas, perhaps even across different continents, thereby enriching their management experience and fostering a more global and inclusive approach.

However, full remote can have the opposite effect on recruitment: discouraging candidates who are looking only for on-site work, or at least a hybrid format. They may therefore not apply or may drop out of the process midway when they learn that the role is full remote. Other candidates may also refuse to apply upon learning that their potential future teams are all full remote: “I’d rather decline the offer if it means hardly ever seeing my teams, carrying out my missions without building relationships with others, and ultimately feeling very alone.”

What truly motivates full remote?

At a time when remote work is becoming increasingly common, one question arises: is it the traditional on-site work model that is being challenged, or are there other factors driving this shift toward full remote? The reasons individuals favor remote work are often more complex and nuanced than they seem. Behind the apparent choice for the flexibility and comfort promised by full remote, deeper issues sometimes lie. Is it a quest for better quality of life, a desire for greater autonomy, or simply a reaction to unsuitable work environments?

Schedule flexibility

“I want full remote so I can manage my schedule more freely.”

Schedule flexibility is one of the main reasons for choosing full remote. This approach makes it possible to juggle professional and personal responsibilities. However, full remote is not an absolute guarantee of a better work/life balance. Indeed, without a well-defined work structure, remote workers risk finding themselves working well beyond “normal” hours, sometimes more than on-site. An alternative could ultimately be obtaining an employment contract that precisely defines the number of hours worked; this way, they would know when their time is dedicated to work and when it is dedicated to personal tasks. They could also ask their employer for adjusted schedules, allowing flexible hours or partial remote-work days, thus offering some flexibility while maintaining a clear separation between professional and personal life.

Reducing stress and fatigue linked to commuting

“I want to do full remote to avoid exhausting and stressful commutes.”

Daily commuting can be a major source of stress due, for example, to canceled trains, road traffic, and crowded transport, but the full remote solution is not necessarily the only one, nor the most suitable in these situations. For example, changing jobs for one closer to home, or adjusting schedules to avoid rush hours, can help reduce commuting stress. In addition, work-related stress may have origins other than commuting, and it is important to identify them in order to find suitable solutions, whether remote or on-site.

Personalizing the work environment

“I prefer full remote so I can set up my workspace however I like.”

The need to personalize one’s workspace, to decorate it one’s own way, is legitimate, but full remote is not the only answer. Many companies are redesigning their premises to offer more customizable, comfortable, and quiet workspaces. This may include quiet zones, relaxation areas, and modular offices. These arrangements can meet personalization needs while preserving the benefits of teamwork and face-to-face collaboration.

Reducing costs linked to on-site work

“Full remote allows me to save on transportation and meal expenses.”

Although full remote can help reduce certain costs, it is also possible to lower these expenses on-site. For example, by adopting budgeting strategies such as preparing meals at home or carpooling. In addition, some companies offer benefits such as subsidized transit passes or discounted company cafeterias, which can also help reduce costs for employees.

What conditions are needed for full remote?

A compatible company DNA

A company’s ability to adopt full remote depends heavily on its culture, values, history, the way employees interact, and the bonds among team members. A company centered on collaboration, in-person interactions, and that regularly organizes team events may find it difficult to switch to a fully remote model.

Adopting full remote requires a company culture where autonomy and accountability are valued. If you look at companies that succeed in this transition, they are often those that integrate flexibility as a fundamental value. On the other hand, for companies with a more traditional culture, this shift can represent a major challenge, requiring a deep reassessment of their practices and values.

High-performing communication systems

The success of full remote largely depends on the quality of a company’s communication systems. Companies must invest in project management software, videoconferencing platforms, and other technologies that facilitate remote work. However, these investments must be accompanied by adequate security measures to protect sensitive data, and also by training that ensures mastery of these tools. Without these investments, switching to full remote can prove more complex.

A profession suited to full remote

Not all professions are suited to full remote work. Jobs that require physical presence, such as medical care, construction, or food service, cannot be performed remotely. By contrast, professions in digital fields, writing, or graphic design are more suited to remote work. For intermediate professions, creative adaptations are often necessary. For example, a teacher can give online classes, but this requires a pedagogical approach different from in-person teaching. The feasibility of full remote therefore strongly depends on the nature of the profession and the ability to adapt to remote-work constraints.

A personal situation that allows it

The feasibility of full remote work also depends largely on the individual’s personal situation. A dedicated and quiet workspace at home is essential for productivity. If they share common spaces with roommates or have young children at home, their ability to work effectively remotely may be affected. Moreover, if they live alone in a small space and this situation weighs on them, working remotely could worsen the feeling of isolation they already experience. In addition, every full remote worker needs access to a stable and fast internet connection.

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Full remote presents itself as a modern and flexible solution to the challenges of our current professional environment. Working remotely offers significant advantages, such as reducing commute times between home and office, the possibility of handling personal tasks during the week, reducing the carbon footprint linked to business travel, and the opportunity to apply for jobs without geographic constraints. However, other strategies can help achieve these goals, such as moving, renegotiating one’s employment contract, changing companies, or adopting new consumption habits.

Although it is important to recognize certain limits of full remote, these can often be mitigated through proper planning and implementation. It is true that remote workers may sometimes tend to work more than their on-site colleagues, but this highlights the importance of good time management and work-life balance. Likewise, while moving away from urban centers can create dependence on potentially more polluting means of transport, this underscores the importance of rethinking how we travel and live.

Before choosing full remote, reflect on your motivations and how well they match your personal and professional needs. Your company must be equipped to support remote work, with effective communication systems and a company culture that values autonomy, freedom, and initiative. It is also crucial that your profession lends itself to remote work and that your personal situation allows you to work from home or another location without negatively affecting your concentration, motivation, well-being, and performance.

In conclusion, full remote is one option among others for enriching and diversifying working conditions. Its success depends on how it is integrated into an overall work strategy, taking into account your individual needs and those of your company.