(In)visibility in new workspaces: the experience of telecommuting during the COVID19 crisis revisited through the lens of recognition theories[(In)visibilité dans les nouveaux espaces de travail : l'expérience du télétravail durant la crise COVID19 revisitée au prisme des théories de la reconnaissance]

The COVID19 crisis led to a massive shift to telework in the spring of 2020. Putting their employees at a distance, organizations have had to rethink work in spaces that have become entirely digital, and where new (in)visibilities have blurred traditional reference points, generating new organizational behaviors. This article analyses the experience of visibility at work during the crisis through the lens of recognition theories. A case study conducted during the crisis within a large insurance company reveals that remote working exacerbated the need for existential recognition at work. It also shows that the digitization of workspaces can lead to the perception of an invisibilization of practices and commitment due to the shift in focus towards the flows and results of work. This phenomenon contributes to the feeling of a denial of recognition for some workers, more particularly for managers, whereas others have managed to gain new recognition. The experience of telework in a period of confinement thus sheds new light on what might be at stake in terms of social visibility and recognition in the new spatializations of work. From a managerial point of view, the results of this research are likely to contribute to the current reflection of companies on the future of work and its new spatializations, as well as on the role of the manager, whose experience of visibility during the crisis appears ambivalent.