Mobile working
Employers reject the legal right to work from home
Much more home office: since the outbreak of the pandemic in spring 2020, the world of work has changed fundamentally. Photo: Fabian Strauch / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The Federal Association of German Employers’ Associations has responded to the statements of Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD), who wants a legal right to work in the home office.
The employers reject a legal right to work from home. The Federation of German Employers’ Associations made this clear on Wednesday.
Managing Director Steffen Kampeter said in Berlin: “The state does not create trust with new regulations, but rather sets the perspective of the ministerial bureaucracy on the ongoing development of operational practice.”
Kampeter reacted to statements by Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD). Heil had said that the Ampel coalition would create “modern rules for mobile working in Germany” and a legal right to work from home.
What is in the coalition agreement
“In parts of the coalition there is obviously a mess between the party program and the coalition agreement,” criticized Kampeter. “Because the coalition agreement of the traffic light parties does not provide for the creation of a legal claim, but a right to be discussed when working from home. Home office is standard in many companies and will remain so after the pandemic. This does not require any legal entitlement, but rather trusting cooperation in the company. “
Kampeter also said that it was important, as foreseen by the coalition agreement, to clearly distinguish between teleworking and home office as a form of mobile work. “Furthermore, mobile work can only be promoted by pushing ahead with broadband expansion, more flexible working hours and the possibility of employers to delegate work-time recording obligations to employees. This not only includes the office workplaces, but also various areas of production. ”