It is the new normal for millions of employees: working from home. Before the start of the corona pandemic, working from home was the exception, now working in the living room or at the kitchen table has become part of everyday life for many. But is there more and should there be guidelines for companies instead of appeals from politics in order to curb the spread of the virus? In view of the extension of the lockdown until the end of January, the debate has picked up speed again.

New calls for a right to work from home After their deliberations on Tuesday, the federal and state governments “urgently asked” employers to create generous home office opportunities. But that is not enough to get the infection numbers under control, criticized the Green politician Beate Müller-Gemmeke: “We need a right to work from home and a home office requirement that is aimed at employers.”

The President of the Bitkom digital association, Achim Berg, told the German Press Agency: “For the entire duration of the pandemic, it is an imperative to work exclusively in the home office, if the professional activity allows it. ” All employers are called upon to create generous regulations in order to meet their responsibilities in this historical situation. “This applies in particular to public employers who have to set a good example.”

Currently, every fourth employee works exclusively in the home office, as a representative survey carried out on behalf of Bitkom at the beginning of December showed. That corresponds to 10, 5 million working people. This applies at least partially to further 20 percent. Before the start of the pandemic, only 3 percent of the working population had worked exclusively in the home office, another 15 percent partially. The most frequently mentioned disadvantage: The lack of personal exchange with colleagues.

Against new guidelines in the crisis The President of the German Institute for Economic Research, Marcel Fratzscher, told the dpa that the federal government would do more damage than help with legal requirements for home office. “Almost 60 percent of employees in Germany cannot work from home, often because their work involves serving other people. Companies to fight already now to survive this pandemic. ” The government should give companies and employees more support during the crisis.

Trade unions demand clear rules. “Nobody wants to move work on the assembly line at Daimler or care for the elderly to the home office,” said DGB chairman Reiner Hoffmann. “But where mobile working is possible, people should be given the right to more time autonomy.” This includes, for example, the right to be unavailable or regular timekeeping. “In Germany, more than a billion hours of overtime are worked annually that are not paid by employers. This is nothing more than wage theft. That must not be made worse by working more from home,” Hoffmann told the dpa.

In addition: “Employees often want mobile working, but the employer does not fulfill this wish,” as Verdi boss Frank Werneke told the dpa. This is exactly where Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) wants to start. A draft law provides that employees should be given the right to discuss a desire for regular mobile work with their employer. An originally envisaged right to work from home is no longer planned – the Union is against it.

From emergency measures to regular operations “The home office is currently more of an emergency measure,” said Oliver Stettes from the Institute of German Economy. “The discussion about regulations should relate to the home office in regular operation. This also includes questions of accessibility and technical equipment.” A legal claim is the wrong approach. “Working from home can only be productive if both sides consider it sensible, employee and employer.”

The debate is also about the side effects of working from home. For many families this means a balancing act between job and childcare – especially when schools and daycare centers are closed. Many people wanted more mobile work, said Werneke. However, many employees did not want it either, because they preferred a clear separation between work and private life, because conflicts could also arise. That is why the works councils and staff councils have to have a strong right to co-determination when working on the move.

The employers set a different focus – they want fundamental adjustments to the Working Hours Act. “Get rid of this time clock mentality and finally move forward towards the future,” said employer president Rainer Dulger. Today’s working world has very different requirements than ten years ago. “Only a company that is adaptable can react quickly to external shocks such as the coronavirus. Anyone caught in a rigid framework will quickly run into problems. The companies have acted quickly and pragmatically: They have more flexible working hours in systemically important industries, virtual works council work , and enables an unbureaucratic implementation of home office. ”

Tax relief enforced Changes to the Working Hours Act are in the coalition a “hot iron”. The Bundestag had last decided for the years 2020 and 2021 a tax home office flat rate of 5 euros per day and a maximum of 600 euros per year. The flat rate will be offset against the flat rate for advertising expenses. But is that enough, will it offset higher costs for heating or electricity, for example, for better internet connections?

Bitkom boss Berg advocated more tax relief. “Employees who work at least one day a week in the home office or mobile and thus also protect the environment should be able to deduct all costs that arise from taxation.” In order to simplify the tax processing, expenses up to the amount of 1000 Euro per year should be taken into account as a lump sum and without individual proof. Because only in the rarest of cases are employees working from home allowed to pay the flat-rate income allowance of 600 euros annually with the tax bonus Euro, which every taxpayer is entitled to.

(mho)