Many organizations aim to continue enabling remote work arrangements.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of working from home has gained significant traction in numerous businesses across Germany. As per a survey conducted by the IFO Institute located in Munich, a massive majority of businesses (96%) in the country are planning to maintain this work-from-home culture, with only a mere 4% contemplating its complete abolition. Twelve percent of these companies are even considering implementing stricter guidelines for remote work. Interestingly, 75% of companies with remote work options opt to keep them as they are.
Jean-Victor Alipour, a researcher from the IFO Institute, shed light on this trend, stating, "It's clear that the trend is not shifting back towards the offices." He further highlighted that media reporting often highlights individual companies reducing remote work, which creates a misconception about the overall situation. In fact, eleven percent of companies are even planning to make their remote work rules more flexible. Remarkably, remote work is possible in 79% of organizations.
This practice is more prevalent in large corporations (93%) than in small and medium-sized enterprises (75%). Additionally, differences between sectors emerge; while 82% of service providers and a staggering 89% of industrial companies can offer remote work, merely 40% of construction and retail companies can do so. Across all industries, a considerable number (less than 15%) desire to restrict or eliminate remote work.
Alipour acknowledged the advantages of face-to-face work, but emphasized that enforcing stricter rules through better coordination of on-site sessions could enhance productivity in remote work scenarios. Evidently, thirteen percent of service providers and eight percent of industrial companies are keen on implementing more flexible remote work rules. Summing up, Alipour concluded, "Remote work is here to stay in Germany. We're not returning to 2019."
Despite the discourse surrounding some companies reducing remote work, a significant number of businesses, such as 11% planning to make their policies more flexible, are embracing this trend. Furthermore, the majority of organizations (79%) have the capability to support remote work, indicating that the trend of 'Employment and social security' in the form of remote work is shaping the future of work in Germany.
