Working conditions in ICT companies and smart working. Evidence from a field study

Abstract

The article deals with the issue of the working conditions in some ICT companies in Milan who are in smart (or home) working mode, using the empirical evidence of the research conducted through a questionnaire. The main results indicated both a general lengthening of daily working hours, with consequences on both working conditions and the labour market; and the intensification of work rhythms due to a significant level of workloads to be completed within tight deadlines. The labour organisation implemented in these companies, which is characterised by management by objectives and the application of lean production models (DevOps and Scrum) to the ICT sector, seem to be linked to the determination of working conditions. The consequences for health and safety conditions seem to be rather worrying, also in the light of a low diffusion of systems of collective bargaining and regulation of work performance

Keywords

• smart working
• working condition
• labour organisation
• health and safety of workers
• collective bargaining