Employees and Home Office

Setting up home office and the related documentation

Because most measures have already been lifted and companies are no longer burdened with creating crisis solutions, it might be worth having a think about the way home office is set up and consider whether it meets the needs of the company and its employees. Organisations should also assess whether internal regulations and employee agreements include all the important information and make appropriate adjustments regarding the reimbursement for home office costs. We have summarised the most important information that can help you set up home office correctly.

Employers cannot order home office – employees always have to agree with working from home. Usually, when introducing home office, the place of work changes as well (or another place of work is added for home office purposes); this change cannot be done unilaterally and always has to be subject to a mutual agreement between the employee and the employer.

Usually, working hours are set by the employer. It is no different for employees working from home. Therefore, it depends on the employer whether they set fixed working hours or opt for a more flexible setup, such as dividing working hours into fixed and flexible time slots. Fixed working hours (or, alternatively, a flexible arrangement with a significant share of fixed time slots) can be recommended especially due to its practicality – if an employer works in a team, it is necessary for them to be available at the same time as their colleagues.

Appropriate regulations need to be in place for setting up home office correctly. We recommend preparing an internal regulation that will primarily specify:

• Job positions eligible for home office 
• Working hours and the employee’s availability during the day
• Basic OHS rules 
• Way of communicating with the team 
• Way of assigning work

More information in our leaflet Home office as a practical work organisation tool even after the corona crisis.