Flexible work locations - teleworking / home office / mobile office

The use of modern information and communication technologies makes it possible to work at very different locations. Whether you work in the company, at home, while traveling or in an external office is (almost) irrelevant. Laptops, smartphones, e-mail and the Internet allow continuous access to information and work materials and ensure a stable exchange with the company.

The amount of time that employees work outside the company varies and ranges from occasional work from home or on the road to regular teleworking at home, also known as home office. The most common model is "alternating teleworking", in which employees alternate between working from home and from their workplace at the company. In most cases, there is still a workplace in the company, but it is shared with other teleworkers. Depending on agreements and requirements, there may be fixed weekly or monthly days in the office. Variable models in which the place of work is determined according to appointments and meetings are also possible.

Teleworking can be combined with flexible working time models (e.g. part-time or trust-based working hours) to make it even more flexible. In principle, teleworking is used in both part-time and full-time variants.

Teleworking requires a high degree of independence, decision-making initiative, willingness to take responsibility and delegation on the part of employees and managers. This can be a challenge, but also an opportunity for companies.

Opportunities for companies and employees

Working from home has clear advantages. Employees save time and money on their daily commute, while companies save on office costs if employees do not need their own workstation or use it alternately with others. Employees can complete their work tasks according to their individual performance (bio-rhythm) or flexibly adapt their working hours to childcare and caring responsibilities. This often leads to greater motivation and productivity. Without the distractions of everyday office life, employees can work from home in a more concentrated, undisturbed and effective manner. Absenteeism also decreases with the introduction of teleworking. By offering the option of teleworking, an employer places a great deal of trust in its employees, which encourages them to take responsibility for their own actions. This increases the attractiveness of the employer.

The investment required to set up a teleworking workplace - often no more than the provision of a laptop, a data connection and the sending of work tasks - often pays for itself quickly.

Binding rules needed

The flexibility of mobile working requires very clear agreements and rules. On the one hand, this concerns the binding clarification of working hours and availability. Work tasks and objectives must be clearly formulated and must be feasible and achievable within a realistic time frame. Conditions must also be created for a good exchange of information within the company, be it through regular telephone and video conferences, chats or meetings. It is also important to clarify the structure of the right of return, the costs of setting up and maintaining the teleworking workplace, data protection regulations, occupational health and safety and, last but not least, liability law.

The biggest challenge for employees in the mobile office is a clear separation between work and private life. During working hours, private life should also be kept to a minimum at home, which can be achieved by having a separate workspace, for example, and also requires childcare for parents. However, in emergencies - e.g. illness of a child or childcare center closing day - mobile working offers the chance not to be completely absent and to be able to complete at least the most urgent tasks. At the same time, working hours should be clearly limited despite working from home. After all, it can quickly feel like you have to be available all the time or that you need to get some work done quickly after work.

Requirements for teleworking

On the one hand, the possibility of teleworking depends on the company's areas of activity. The prerequisite is that activities can also be carried out outside the company. Ideally, these are activities that are carried out to a high degree on a computer/laptop and in which the proportion of information and communication technologies used is high. In addition, there should be little need to access files / materials that are not available digitally.

On the other hand, it is important that employees are interested in working from home in the first place and at the same time have some important skills. They should be used to working independently and be able to demonstrate the necessary self-discipline and competent self-management to handle the new form of work responsibly and not exhaust themselves.

A list of all relevant personal, business and technical requirements can be found in the info box in the document Requirements for teleworking.

Steps towards mobile workstations

The possibilities and framework conditions for mobile working are becoming better and easier. Nevertheless, before introducing it, it is important to thoroughly check whether it is the right form of flexible working for your own company. Are there activities that can be carried out regardless of location? Are there employees who work independently and in a structured manner, as is necessary for teleworking? Is mobile working even desirable as a form of work?

The Key questions on mobile working can help you to keep an eye on the key points when introducing or considering the introduction of teleworking.

Legal framework

The legal provisions for mobile forms of work relate to traditional working from home (Home Work Act). For teleworking in its various forms, the rules of conventional employment relationships are applied in most cases. Full protection under labor, social and health law therefore applies here. The main aspects of teleworking that need to be regulated are liability risks, data protection and insurance cover.