Impacts of telework on the worker and his professional, family and social spheres

Emblematic of the transformations affecting the world of work, teleworking in France has progressed slowly but steadily. A large number of theoretical and empirical research on teleworking focuses primarily on the impact of this form of work (i.e., social, organizational, individual, etc.). In order to encourage further investigations and to disseminate the knowledge acquired, the purpose of this contribution is to give a full account of existing literature and outcomes of previous research focused on the impact of telework, as currently defined, on the worker (and his entourage) in different spheres of life (i.e., related to work, family and social life). In this perspective, firstly, we present the definitions of telework, the broad categories of telework which can be identified, teleworkers’ characteristics, and the situation of teleworking in France on the basis of quantitative data. Secondly, we report the different stages of the literature review process (databases and keywords included, inclusion/exclusion criteria, papers retained). Publications incorporated in our final sample highlight the positive and negative, direct and indirect effects of telework on the worker in the world of work (i.e., efficacy, performance, productivity, commitment, sense of control over the work, workload, motivation, satisfaction, stress and health at work, quality and nature of the relationships, professional and social isolation), and the way in which they integrate telework into their daily lives (e.g., boundaries between areas of life, work-life balance, well-being and quality of life). Finally, on the basis of the review of the literature and the findings in the field, we suggest areas for future research and practical guidance to accompany and promote the success of telework transition.