Home office wherever possible The people in Germany need further patience in the corona pandemic: The federal and state governments have extended the lockdown to mid-February out of concern about the virus mutation and partially tightened it. Schools and daycare centers should also remain closed until then. But the countries want to implement this controversial decision differently. Stricter rules are provided in the workplace. Employers must allow work from home if that is possible. Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil called on employees and companies to make massive use of the new home office options.

IBM Germany is almost planning 1000 Terminations IBM is almost 1000 Express the termination to employees. The group has informed its supervisory board and the responsible works council committees accordingly in the last few days. IBM justifies the downsizing with the maintenance of competitiveness and a realignment of the organization and the skills. This was announced by the service union ver.di. It is still unclear whether the redundancies are due to operational reasons or whether IBM will cut jobs. Negotiations on social plans are to be started shortly. The ver.di union protests against the layoffs and calls on IBM not to implement the plans.

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Job center has to pay computers and accessories for pupils The Landessozialgericht Thuringia has obliged the job center to purchase one for an eighth grader whose family receives Hartz IV to take over internet-enabled PCs with accessories. The equipment that should enable the pupil to take part in the corona-related online lessons include a computer, a screen, keyboard, mouse, printer and three printer cartridges. The costs should be a maximum of 500 euros. In the statutory requirement for Hartz IV recipients, such expenses are not taken into account – but under the current pandemic circumstances this would no longer be “realistic”, the court found.

Solar activity for almost 1000 years reconstructed Using modern technology, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research have measured the activity of the sun from tree rings since the year 969 reconstructed. The most accurate data to date on solar activity for the past 969 not only confirm “impressively” the eleven-year activity cycle of our star, but also provide it Evidence for two previously unknown radiation outbreaks in the High Middle Ages.

(igr)