"JO 2024: anticipate your journeys!" is the slogan of the Ministry of Transport's campaign launched in January. Cycling, remote work and carpooling are all encouraged by the government on the various posters dedicated to the event.
And with good reason: France, the host country, is preparing to host all the Olympic sporting events between July 26 and August 11. The program includes equestrian events, swimming, athletics, boxing and soccer. But also the arrival of 15,000 athletes and, above all, 15.3 million visitors to the Ile-de-France region alone. Estimates still subject to caution, as communicated by the Paris Tourist Office.
With 15 million visitors in an area that boasts 2 million within its walls, the challenge of accommodating them is enormous. Hotels, Airbnb, student rooms - all the accommodation capacities of the capital and its inner suburbs will be mobilized. The challenge is even greater for transport. In December 2023, the Ministry of Transport was already warning of the risk of network congestion. Especially as the Games are scheduled to be 100% accessible by public transport.
In an article in Ouest-France, the Managing Director of Ile-de-France Mobilités estimates 500,000 extra passengers per day on the network, representing a peak of 2 million journeys. This figure is in addition to the average number of summer journeys, which is lower than the normal period. This should normally enable the network to absorb less than the 9 million journeys for which it is normally designed. However, some transport lines are likely to be saturated: metro lines 9 and RER lines A and C, which serve Olympic venues. Some metro stations will also be closed to the public. For those who don't plan ahead, ticket prices will also rise, to €4.
From July 1 to September 15, 185 km of lanes, including expressways on the A1 and A13, will be reserved for participants (athletes, journalists, officials...). The left-hand lane of the inner and outer ring roads will be reserved for accredited motorists.
The situation will be even more complicated for offices located in the "red zone". The Games organizers have defined several zones according to the degree of security required. The "black perimeters", in the immediate vicinity of the competition venues, are strictly reserved for accredited vehicles. In the "red" perimeter, motorized vehicles will be prohibited, unless an exemption is granted. Even RATP buses will not have access to this perimeter. In the "blue" zones, traffic will be restricted to drivers whose situation requires them to travel within the zone.
The precise street-by-street delimitation of the zones concerned is not yet known, but an initial diagram available on paris.fr gives a visual indication. Companies with offices near the Olympic Village and the Stade de France, Roland Garros, Parc des Princes, Trocadéro, Eiffel Tower, Concorde and Porte de Versailles are the first to be targeted.
Traffic will be even more complicated between July 20 and 26 along the route of the opening ceremony. Blue and red zones will extend on either side of the Seine.
Faced with these considerable disruptions, the government is recommending a change in habits. Traffic in the vicinity of the competition zones is prohibited to motorized vehicles only, so it will be possible to reach the offices located in this zone by bike, metro or on foot, even if certain metro stations such as Concorde or Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau will be closed to the public.
An interactive map on anticiperlesjeux.gouv. fr shows which lines should be avoided and which should not be affected by visitors' movements.
In April, the French Ministry of Labor published a guide outlining the adjustments that employers can make during this period, includingadapting working hours, and taking time off and rest days. The government also advocates greater use of remote work during this period to avoid increasing ridership on already congested metro lines. The derogation platform for motorized vehicle access is not yet online.
With less than 100 days to go until the Olympic Games, have companies anticipated their employees' work organization and environment? Have they implemented the government's recommendations?
As demonstrated by the containment management during the COVID period, companies are now more agile, and able to adapt to extraordinary events. What's more, working remotely is a tried-and-tested model that is becoming increasingly popular with companies. According to a barometer unveiled by real estate consultancy JLL, 47% of companies in France use remote work.
For companies located close to transport hubs, or directly affected by visitor flows, the risks of unpreparedness are major.
However, most of them have not yet taken the measure of the risk, and are adopting a wait-and-see attitude. "Some major clients, particularly those in the CAC 40, have not taken any special measures, as they are not yet aware of their management's directives, even though they are located right next to the Olympic venues", warns Marjorie Manivel, founder of Tahys RH, an expert in the placement of freelancers in the tech sector.
"About one in 10 customers have made arrangements for the Olympics period. This is just an estimate, but it's possible that most won't wake up until the last moment."
Most of the economic players we interviewed were similarly passive. "It's not certain that companies are taking the measure of what lies ahead, even if they are seeing more and more campaigns and articles on the subject. In the case of business centers located near the Eiffel Tower, some large companies are starting to look for solutions over a few months, as there is a real risk that this will turn into hell", adds Arnaud Adler, President of Coworkea, a corpoworking company.
A number of solutions exist to save employees from exhausting journeys and reduce delays and loss of productivity. To support HRDs, ANDRH has put together a webinar, a memo and a special report.. In particular, the association's memo recommends setting up a "task force", bringing together HR, security, the working environment, business, ISS and employee representatives, to define needs and draw up a business continuity plan. The memo also recommends communicating the new work organization upstream.
As the Olympic Games take place during the vacation period, it is possible to encourage employees to take their vacations at this time. However, it is not possible to force them to do so. Companies that choose to change their employees' vacation dates must give one month's notice. For companies anticipating a drop in activity, it is also possible to provide for a compulsory closure period, which again must be anticipated.
Greater use of remote work can be a smooth business continuity solution. Some employees have already made arrangements. "There's a pseudo-anxiety, but in reality the prospect of the Olympics is a good excuse to go remote full-time," smiles Marjorie Manivel.
Quoted by Radio France, Audrey Richard, Director of Human Resources at Canal + Group, points out that remote work is a solution, even if remote work cannot be used for everything.
"In France, 40% of jobs can be teleworked. If we really look at the jobs that can telework, then we see that companies are going to give an additional opportunity."
Keeping an up-to-date schedule of employee attendance will be more important than ever. This will enable you to anticipate logistical difficulties with transport. But also to adapt on-site catering solutions. Certain restaurants located in tourist areas are likely to be overcrowded, and conversely, some employees will not be present on site. Deskare's calendar tool provides real-time information on the location of employees.
Last but not least, the possibility of using hubs, third-party premises located in strategic locations, far from transport hubs, can be a good option. "Our company Coworkea offers around forty hubs in Paris and the inner suburbs, such as Porte d'Orléans, Porte de Clignancourt and Meudon", explains Arnaud Adler.
The choice of temporary rental must be based on the nature of the company's business activity, but also on the "HR typology of employees, their place of residence and their distance from current or future offices", adds Arnaud Adler.
In line with the Ministry's recommendations, giving priority to soft mobility, already in vogue in the age of environmental considerations, will be an ideal option.
On the whole, the players remain optimistic, following the changes in operating methods experienced during the pandemic, as noted by the President of Coworkea.
Whether for the Olympics or everyday hybrid work, do you want to make it easier for your employees to collaborate on site? Deskare offers a simple, intuitive solution that can be deployed rapidly, enabling you to organize both on-site presence and flex office, while giving employees visibility over their team's presence.
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