[ad_1]
reThe proposal lasted only a month, then Hubertus Heil himself buried it. The SPD’s federal Labor Minister has “postponed” his legislative plans to introduce a legal right to the central office after encountering fundamental opposition from his coalition partner.
Johannes Pennekamp
Editor in charge of financial reports, responsible for “Die Lounge”.
“Since the Union has obviously not yet come to this question in 2020, I am willing to postpone the claim to 24 home office days per year,” Heil told the Germany publishing network at the weekend. In the future, you would just like to anchor the employee’s right to a conversation with their boss about the possibility of a home office. If the boss wants to reject this request, he has to explain what operational reasons speak against it.
“Finally legal security for employers and employees”
Additionally, Heil wants to adopt a “modern framework for mobile work” in his simplified law. This includes clarifications on protection against accidents when employees bring their children to daycare in the morning and then return to the home office, as well as a regulation on digital timekeeping. With this, Heil takes up the criticism that working from home entails a delimitation of the working day because it is no longer possible to clearly separate work and private life. Heil wants to enforce this framework this year. “Because that ultimately creates legal security for employers and employees,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Union remained firm in its position on the legal right to work from home. “I am not at all sympathetic to legal claims that only benefit a few employees,” said Federal Minister of the Economy Peter Altmaier (CDU) of “Bild am Sonntag”, listing some professional groups that could never benefit from working from home: the postman and nurse. the plumber and the surgeon. He confirmed that many companies allow their employees to work from home in Corona times anyway. “The legislature shouldn’t make everything binding on regulations.”
The usefulness of the new home work has yet to be proven. Many companies perceive their home-based employees as less productive, according to a survey conducted by the Munich Ifo Institute on behalf of the Family Business Foundation. Of nearly 1,100 companies from different industries surveyed, only 5.7 percent said that employees in their own four walls were more productive. 30.4 percent did not see any change, 27 percent of companies stated that their employees did less at home.
Smaller companies were even more critical of working from home. “The explanation for the lower productivity may also be that companies are a social place. Personal contact between employees creates a dynamic and innovative force that video conferencing cannot replace, ”said Stefan Heidbreder, CEO of the Family Business Foundation.
The latest survey is in contrast to a much-cited study that evaluated the work of call center employees. It showed an increase in productivity several years ago. Researchers from Harvard Business School and New York University who examined the email communications of more than 3 million home office workers in North America, Europe and the Middle East in April and May of this year as well They concluded: Im The home office works longer than the office. Most employees consider themselves more productive in the home office, a survey of 7,000 employees from DAK health insurance company also showed this summer.
It will definitely not be the last word on this issue. Because even without the right to work from home, the companies’ big field test on home work is likely to continue in the coming months in light of the growing number of infections.
A compliment to the task
That’s why the IG Metall syndicate doesn’t want to give in so quickly. Second President Christiane Benner and Division Manager Vanessa Barth demanded: “Anyone who wants to work in the home office and away from home should be able to do it too. Therefore, IG Metall demands the right to mobile work, as long as the work is suitable for him ”. The employer should only be able to reject the application if this is not the case. You argue that many employees want more self-determination about how and where they work. “The main thing for them is to save valuable time by not having to commute to work,” the unionists said. The Home Office allows more time for family, home, friends and volunteering “or for individual biorhythm.”
