Why should a company improve its employees' working conditions? Inquiry on Bouygues construction

Résumé du document

How can business improve people's lives? That is the issue of this inaugural seminar, and we decided to study a sector where there are real risks for employees, such as the building trade. On this way we chose Bouygues Construction, because we were sure that such a worldwide company would provide us with a lot of information thanks to a large scale of jobs and international building sites. When you go on the Bouygues Construction website , you can immediately feel how working conditions seem to be important for this firm. That's why we wondered why a company should improve its employees' working conditions. We first thought that such a Human Resources policy was nothing but superficial, so we wanted to check if Bouygues was only doing what was required by the law or paying a real attention to this policy. The law clearly says who is liable for the security of a building site. In fact, there is a double liability. The employees must take care of their own health and security at work. An example is the "droit de retrait": if an employee believes he is taking a big risk while working, he is allowed by law not to go to work for a few days. Of course, this right must be used carefully.

Extraits

[...] What is the legal framework in France about security? a. According to the law, who is liable? The law clearly says who is liable for the security of a building site. In fact, there is a double liability. The employees must take care of their own health and security at work. An example is the “droit de retrait”: if an employee believes he is taking a big risk while working, he is allowed by law not to go to work for a few days. [...]

[...] Bibliographie indicative Fortune faite : les grands créateurs d'entreprises français au XXe siècle, JP Pecoul, Dunod (1991). Globalization and Labor Conditions: Working Conditions and Worker Rights in a Global Economy par Robert J. Flanagan (Relié - 3 août 2006) http://www.bouygues-construction.com/fr/index.aspx The Cour d'appel of Douai sentenced an employee to be fired without severance pay in 2004 because he refused to wear a helmet while working. See Fortune faite : les grands créateurs d'entreprises français au XXème siècle, JP Pecoul, Dunod (1991). See www.bouygues.fr/fr/groupe/pdf/slides_minorange_40ans.pdf. The average pay raise is each year. [...]

[...] On this way we chose Bouygues Construction, because we were sure that such a worldwide company would provide us with a lot of information thanks to a large scale of jobs and international building sites. When you go on the Bouygues Construction website[1], you can immediately feel how working conditions seem to be important for this firm. That's why we wondered why a company should improve its employees' working conditions. We first thought that such a Human Resources policy was nothing but superficial, so we wanted to check if Bouygues was only doing what was required by the law or paying a real attention to this policy. I. [...]

[...] Why should a company improve its employees' working conditions? Inquiry on Bouygues Construction Summary Introduction I. Legal Framework 1. What is the legal framework in France about security? 2. Home rules II. From words to actions 1. Human resources: Interview of Valérie Ferrand 2. On a builders' yard: Interview of Jonathan Angotti III. Ethics or profit ? 1. [...]

[...] Angotti evoked the story of that worker who had walked past a barrier and had fallen in a ditch, hurting himself rather seriously. It was decided that it was not the company responsibility but the employee's because he had disregarded that security rule. Thus that worker was dismissed because he had committed an act of professional misconduct. How are those rules seen from the employees' view point? Though security rules seem quite harsh, Mr J. Angotti told us that it was thanks to them that workers agreed that things were done for them as far as their working conditions were concerned. [...]