This news does not seem to fit into the current Corona situation: "Companies want to bring their people back to the office" - this is the title of the Bitkom digital association for its latest communication on the subject of home office.

In fact, it's about the post-pandemic period.

Then a majority of companies in Germany want to restrict the regulations for working at home again, as a representative survey by the association of more than 600 companies showed.

The survey was carried out in September and October - at a time when the incidence was still significantly lower and there is no question of the resumption of the obligation to work from home.

Thiemo Heeg

Editor in business.

  • Follow I follow

One result of the study: During the pandemic, 81 percent of the companies surveyed enabled their employees to work outside of the company premises.

37 percent of the companies introduced home office for the first time as a result of Corona, 44 percent expanded existing home office regulations.

"If the majority of the companies have their way, the tide should turn again," sums up Bitkom.

45 percent intend to partially withdraw the measures.

And 27 percent do not even want to be able to work from home in the future.

Only 23 percent of the companies that rely on home office in the pandemic plan to keep the measures taken afterwards.

4 percent even want to expand it.

The trend towards mobile work continues

Despite these figures, Bitkom is convinced that the trend towards mobile working will continue.

"The Corona crisis has triggered a development that can no longer be turned back," says Association President Achim Berg.

At the same time, it must be easy for companies to call individual employees and entire teams to their workplaces.

Bitkom accordingly rejects a general right to work from home: "The decision about the type of work should in principle remain with the employer," says Berg.

Instead, he advocates tax incentives: "Those who work from home are not only making an active contribution to the fight against the pandemic, but also against climate change." can.