Corona in Germany: Mandatory home office and 3G on trains?

Labor Minister Heil wants to reintroduce the home office obligation. Greens co-party leader Habeck and SPD health expert Lauterbach are in favor of using the 3G rule in rail traffic.

In view of the increasing number of infections, calls for stricter corona measures are becoming louder again. Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil therefore wants to reintroduce an obligation to work from home. This emerges from a draft law of the Federal Ministry of Labor, which the ARD capital studio is present. Accordingly, 3G is also mandatory in the workplace. The draft must now be discussed in the parliamentary groups of the possible future traffic light government (SPD, Greens and FDP).

“In the case of office work or comparable activities, the employer has to offer employees to carry out these activities in their home if there are no compelling operational reasons to the contrary,” the draft says. “The employees have to accept this offer, as long as there are no reasons to the contrary.”

Such reasons “can exist if the operational processes would otherwise be severely restricted or could not be maintained at all,” it says. A lack of technical equipment, for example with computers, is only temporarily considered a reason for prevention. According to the draft, employees can, for example, refuse to work in the home office if there is “limited space, interference from third parties or insufficient equipment”. Initially, the “Bild” newspaper reported on the design.

Agreement at traffic light parties is emerging

In the traffic light groups, the details of 3G at work – i.e. the obligation to present proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test result – and the obligation to work from home were discussed intensively today.

The deputy chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, Katja Mast, announced: “The planned renewed obligation to work from home is correct. Increased home office and 3G at work help to break the fourth wave – also to protect those who cannot work at home . ” A spokesman for the Green parliamentary group said it was true that the traffic light partners wanted to reintroduce the obligation to work from home.

The FDP parliamentary group said that they were “open to good suggestions”. The Free Democrats indicated that in view of the dramatic Corona situation, it was “more likely” that both 3G at work and the home office requirement for office work would be introduced.

DGB welcomes renewed obligation to work from home

The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) also advocated the reintroduction of the home office obligation. In view of the dramatic increase in the number of corona infections, it is “right that employers are again obliged to offer home offices wherever possible,” said DGB chairman Reiner Hoffmann.

Green co-boss Robert Habeck also spoke out in favor of greater use of home offices. “The situation in Germany is extremely dramatic,” he told the newspapers of the Funke media group. “If the fourth wave is not broken quickly, the hospital system threatens to collapse in December,” he warned.

The home office obligation, anchored in the so-called federal emergency brake, expired at the end of June. Since then, companies have still had to maintain corona measures and offer two tests per week and draw up hygiene plans. This is regulated in the Corona Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance for companies and their employees.

“Rail travel must be safer”

Habeck also called for the 3G rule to be applied in train traffic. Travelers would then have to be vaccinated, recovered or tested. “Yes, rail travel must also be safer. From my point of view, 3G should apply here, we will have to talk about that,” he said.

The SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach also spoke out in favor. “3G should also apply in trains. In this corona situation, it is irresponsible that unvaccinated and untested people sit close to other passengers for hours on long-distance transport,” said Lauterbach of “Bild am Sonntag”.

Habeck also believes that restrictions on freedom for unvaccinated people are possible: “Contact restrictions are painful cuts, we all know that too well. But given the dramatic situation, they may be necessary regionally for unvaccinated people. The same should be included in the Infection Protection Act.” A compulsory vaccination for certain occupational groups is also useful.