Home Office

Home Office became an increasingly common form of work during the COVID pandemic. This presents advantages and disadvantages for employees. This next article explains whether or not working from home makes sense and how to best put this into practice. 

Home Office has become an integral part of our modern working world. A distinction must be made between the terms Home Office and Teleworking, which are often used interchangeably. Employees with a Home Office contract are only allowed to do their work from home. For this purpose, the employer must equip the office at home with work equipment such as a desk or screen. Teleworking, on the other hand, allows the employee to do their work from any location. 

There are also rules that must be observed in the Home Office. For one thing, the Working Time Act applies just as it does to an office workplace, which means that the daily working time of ten hours may not be exceeded. Furthermore, break times and rest periods on Sundays and holidays have to be observed. The responsibility to comply with the law lies with the employer. 

Moreover, the occupational health and safety regulations in the Home Office must also be adhered to. To ensure this, the employer is entitled to visit their employee at home and check compliance. 

Additionally, the employee has to adhere to data protection regulations when working from home. This means that the employee is responsible to ensure that no third party can access confidential company data. 

The main advantage of working in the Home Office is the flexibility. This working time model allows employees to better coordinate their private life and work, which promotes work-life balance. Since there is no need to travel to and from the office, the time and travel costs saved are particularly advantageous for commuters. 

Some workers are able to do their work more efficiently from home, as they are less likely to be interrupted by colleagues in the office. The quiet work atmosphere is also beneficial when it comes to concentration and productivity. 

The main advantage for the employer is to save costs for renting office space as well as saving costs for electricity and water, among other things. 

Employees working from home also pose a challenge for executives. They have to trust their employees. In order to promote team spirit, regular conversations via video or phone conferences should take place. 

Home Office can be a good alternative to working on-site for both employers and employees.