pandemic
Corona: Labor Minister Heil calls for more home offices
Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) in a dpa interview. Photo: Britta Pedersen / dpa-Zentralbild / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
While the number of corona infections continues to rise, the federal and state governments are currently discussing tightened measures to combat pandemics. The Federal Minister of Labor has formulated a clear appeal on this.
Shortly before the start of the federal-state switch on the current corona situation, Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) appealed to citizens and companies to work more from home again if possible.
He also expects this signal from the political deliberations, Heil told the German Press Agency on Friday. “I assume that the federal government and the prime ministers will once again make it very, very clear which rules already apply and must be complied with,” said the SPD politician. “This also includes the requirements for home office.”
Avoid contacts
The number of corona infections had risen sharply again in the past few days. The number of reported new infections per 100,000 inhabitants exceeded the 300 mark for the first time in two and a half weeks on Friday.Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the state ministers wanted to announce further measures to combat pandemic in the afternoon in view of the aggravated situation. According to a draft resolution, the federal and state governments are once again explicitly calling on people to make greater use of the home office in the coming weeks in order to avoid contact.
Heil recalled that the Infection Protection Act regulates that home offices must be offered and used wherever possible. Since then, home office has been used more intensively again. “But there is still room for improvement,” said the Minister of Labor. “That is why there is now a clear appeal to companies to offer home offices wherever possible and a clear request to employees to work from home whenever possible.” Once again, it is important to reduce social contacts and thus make a contribution to society against the spread of the virus.
Solidarity required
“Last spring, we made a significant contribution to reducing infections with the home office regulation – not yet with Omikron at the time,” said Heil. “This is all the more necessary now with the more contagious variant.”
Heil emphasized: “We have to further reduce contacts, also in order to be able to keep social life and schools open.” In the current situation, home office is not only a question of personal responsibility, but also of social solidarity. “And it is a question of economic reason so that we can get our economy and the labor market through the winter well.” In addition, it is also clear that in the long term only vaccination against the pandemic can help, emphasized the Minister of Labor.
At the beginning of the year, the Munich-based Ifo Institute reported that across all industries, people were increasingly working from home again. According to a company survey by the institute in December, 27.9 percent of employees were at least temporarily working from home. In August the rate was 23.8 percent. Since the end of November, companies have again had to offer their employees the opportunity to work at home.
Britta Haßelmann, leader of the Greens parliamentary group, also called for a reduction in contacts at a professional level this week because of the rapidly spreading virus variant Omikron. Additional protective measures are required. “This applies to further contact restrictions, not only in private, but also at work,” said Haßelmann of the Funke media group. «Home office is a central component here. That must now find more application again. “