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As in March, the Federal Council recommends that companies encourage work from home whenever possible. Business associations support the measure to avoid a second damaging lockdown.
On Sunday, the Federal Council again issued a recommendation to work at the central office as in March. The recommendation was lifted in June after the situation normalized from the point of view at that time. However, the increase in the number of corona cases led the Federal Council to tighten the measures again.
In the case of the Ministry of the Interior, it is a recommendation and not an obligation. According to the Federal Council, employees should work from home whenever possible. This is not only intended to reduce the risk of infection in the workplace. When fewer people commute to work, contacts on trains, buses or trams also decrease.
The search for a middle ground
The Federal Council said a middle way had been sought to avoid stricter measures. What is good for health now is also good for the economy, Health Minister Alain Berset said, citing his Federal Council colleague Guy Parmelin at a press conference. Berset appealed to corporate responsibility, saying it is also in their best interest to avoid Covid 19 cases. The federal government’s Crown Task Force had also previously asked to work at headquarters.
The specific measures are understandable to the umbrella economic organization Economiesuisse. The coordinated action of the federal government and the cantons is supported and the increase in protection measures is an important contribution to prevent a second blockade, according to Economiesuisse.
Not caught on the left foot
As a survey conducted by NZZ of various companies showed on Friday, many companies have already responded to a new recommendation from the Federal Council. Businesses don’t expect any conversion problems.
Unlike March, most companies do not fall on the wrong foot because the infrastructure for working from home has already improved and security concepts have been developed. During the closing, experience was also gained on what can and cannot be done in the home office. Health Minister Berset said that during the shutdown, between 70 and 80 percent of all employees could have done their work, a large portion of them from home.
In some companies, a large part of the workforce has not even returned to the office. Some companies have also continued with a kind of shift system for employees so that entire departments do not have to be closed in the event of infection.
It’s unclear how much office work promotes the spread of the virus. It is indisputable that the risk of infection is high in closed rooms where several people spend a lot of time together.
“Home Office and Homeschooling Don’t Get Along”
The companies also reported that some, such as energy company Axpo, have introduced a mask requirement at work. Such regulation should make the home office more attractive to some.
For Rudolf Minsch, chief economist at Economiesuisse, there is also another aspect of great importance: “The important thing, however, is that schools, especially kindergartens and primary schools, remain open. The home office and homeschooling don’t get along. In combination, this represents a very heavy burden on families in many cases. “
