Home office - work at home, but properly

Things worth knowing about the topic of “home office”

Exactly what causes German employers and some employees to be skeptical about working from home is anyone's guess. After an initial enthusiasm for the flexible “home office” model, which allows employees without good reasons for being required to be present in the office to work in their home office, old prejudices creep in. According to surveys, employers assume that their employees perform less at their desk at home than under supervision - although numerous studies prove the opposite. But there is also an increasing bad mood among colleagues towards colleagues working at home. True to the motto “While we are working here, they are making a living,” in most cases people rush into action without any basis.

In contrast, an age-old German perspective is gaining ground, which classifies the mere presence at the workplace as “hardworking” and pushes the actual performance into the background. And in fact, pretty much everyone in their circle of colleagues or acquaintances probably knows someone who lives at work, so to speak. And judging by the facts, this behavior is also rewarded: According to surveys, in Germany the person who spends the most time at work is still promoted or given a salary increase. Of course, it was also examined whether and how much these candidates actually work. The result is not surprising: the actual output is often lower. The number of leisure activities that take place during working hours, such as breaks, private Internet surfing or long conversations with colleagues, across desks or in the hallway, are much higher than for colleagues who wanted to finish work at a certain time.

Of course, the “home office” model can also go completely wrong. The closest example is that of the young family, which promises to be able to better balance the children and the household with work. In this case it often remains the theory. Because anyone who is present, even if it is behind a door in their own study, is also tangible. Self-employed people and those who work creatively from their own studio can sing a song about it: “You have it good and can work whenever you want,” is what they say, for example, when a spontaneous visitor comes to the door or your partner wants to delegate a task. On the other hand, there is a submission or a bindingly agreed work progress. On the one hand, between these fronts, the family comes under pressure because the expectations of the new work situation are not met. On the other hand, work suffers because concentration is only possible to a limited extent or not at all.

Do I have the right to work from home?

However, if the employee follows a few basic rules, the pitfalls on the way to productive work from home can be minimized. However, before employees can carry out their jobs completely or partially from home, a few principles must be clarified. There are still no specific laws for the relatively new “home office” working model and no fixed guidelines from employer associations. Accordingly, unlike part-time work, employees have no right to have the management do their work at home Desk allowed. Therefore, each case is an individual case that must be negotiated individually with superiors. This includes the number of days and the general conditions. Experts recommend that employees insist that the agreed points are recorded in writing.

After going to the boss, he comes to the landlord

The next route should be to the landlord. In principle, the house or apartment owner does not have to be informed whether the tenant is only using the premises as an apartment or also for work - of course, as long as there are no visits from customers or regular visits from superiors. According to Silvia Wiedenmann, head of the “property management” department at the “Anders Wohnen” real estate agency in Weilheim, whether someone sits on a desk chair at work for an hour or two in the evening or all day long – several times a week – plays a role in ensuring that the apartment is used “as intended”. At the end of a tenancy, the signs of wear and tear on the floors, walls and fittings of an apartment will be closely examined. According to the property manager's experience, there are always discussions, especially when it comes to floors. Special home office furniture can help here.

The following example: A tenant has set up a workstation in the living room where he sits at the computer for an hour or two after work, does some shopping, answers private emails, plays a PC game or checks stock prices. Depending on whether he has installed the wheels that match the floor for his office chair or a suitable one Protective mat lies beneath the workplace, the floor beneath the surface will be more or less worn out. In order to prevent possible conflicts when moving out, it is advisable not only to use the right equipment, but also to rely on communication. “If a tenant rents an apartment for purely private purposes, the landlord receives compensation in the form of rent and has to accept that the apartment will wear out as intended.”

According to the example, the floor under the private workplace is likely to only show light to medium signs of wear, depending on the length of the tenancy. "It looks different when a tenant rolls around in an office chair on the floor for eight or nine hours a day - this leaves noticeable marks, especially on real wooden floors. There are scratches in the parquet that no longer have anything to do with normal signs of wear and tear," says Silvia Wiedenmann. The key point is: “If the landlord has been informed that the tenant works from home, the floor of the apartment is also worn “as intended” if higher levels of wear can be seen under the workplace.” The expert recommends putting the relevant agreements in writing - ideally in the rental agreement.

The material question is also a cost question

Now that the framework conditions for the home office have been clarified, a suitable place for the home office has been found and agreements have been made with the family about “how” and “when”, the concrete planning can begin: the old one is enough Desk also suitable for longer activities, is it big enough, is it sufficiently lit, can it be ergonomically adjusted? Does it fit? Office chair In addition, does it have enough adjustment options and does it have the right wheels for the respective floor? If new purchases have to be made, they will be at the employee's expense - of course only if the employer has not agreed to cover the costs in full or in part.

The same applies to printers, scanners, PCs, telephones, cell phones and even Internet connections. If more powerful models have to be purchased or a higher bandwidth has to be booked, the employee usually also pays for this. It is also a matter of negotiation as to who will cover the costs for paper, toner or writing materials. However, there is no discussion when it comes to occupational safety and discretion: both must also be guaranteed at home. Employees and employers must be particularly careful when it comes to the issue of data protection. Company secrets are knowledge that must be closely guarded, even in private spaces; Consequently, sensitive documents must not be left unguarded and accessible to people other than the employee. Company data stored on the computer must be protected according to current technical standards. Here, too, it is advisable to have clear agreements about the procedure - the labor courts don't take a joke on this topic.

The question of working hours and taxes

When it comes to working hours, it is best to make clear agreements in advance: Are there fixed working hours, do core working hours apply and what work will be completed by what time? If the agreement states eight hours, the employee must also work eight hours. The employer can request proof of this, but this cannot be specifically verified. Accordingly, and this is the crux of the matter mentioned at the beginning, a solid basis of trust between employer and employee is necessary at this point. In order to enable communication between colleagues at home and employees or superiors, experts recommend that fixed periods of time be agreed upon in advance during which the home worker must answer the phone or respond to emails promptly.

When it comes to the tax aspects of the home office, it is important to keep two principles in mind: If there is another workplace available for professional or business activities other than the home office, the home desk cannot be deducted. If this is not the case, a share can be claimed for tax purposes. However, if the home office is the center of all professional activity, the costs can be claimed without restriction. The following variant is interesting for employers: A study room can be rented out to the employer, provided the home owner agrees - so the employer may be able to claim it for tax purposes. A conversation with the relevant tax advisor is essential for precise clarification of the circumstances.

Home office: advantages and disadvantages

As can be seen, working in the home office comes with a number of requirements. If you are aware of the requirements, you will probably take a closer look at the home office structure. To help you with this, here are some general pros and cons to working from home: