Hybrid work—that is, a mix of on-site work and remote work, such as working from home—is catching on among companies. A new work culture is also emerging at Siemens. A new company-wide agreement titled “Mobile Working in the New Normal” gives employees new flexibility and incorporates lessons learned from the COVID-19 period.
Employees can decide whether to work remotely for two to three days in addition to their office work, and where they will do so. “The decisive factor is where it makes the most sense for them personally and for their work. Coordination between our colleagues and their managers and teams plays a particularly important role here,” says Tobias Bäumler, vice chair of the General Works Council, who negotiated the agreement with his team. The company will ensure that a suitable workspace continues to be provided, even if half of the work time is spent working remotely.
For IG Metall, voluntary participation is an absolute must when restructuring remote work arrangements, emphasizes Hagen Reimer, IG Metall’s corporate representative for the Siemens Group, regarding the new framework agreement. “While employees are not entitled to work from home on specific days of the week, they also cannot be forced to work from home on certain days. Employees are still entitled to a workspace at the company’s premises, but there is no entitlement to specific desks. Workplace concepts must be tailored to the needs of our colleagues and the nature of their work. The goal is greater flexibility for all employee groups.”
A Right to Disconnect Even When Working Remotely
The employer provides the electronic work equipment. Employees are responsible for their workspace and any operating costs incurred while working remotely. On the other hand, they save on commuting costs and time spent traveling to and from work. The employer remains responsible for providing employment and insurance coverage.
The company-wide agreement sets out the framework conditions that will apply to the local workplace agreements to be established in the post-pandemic period. According to the company-wide agreement, work from home should generally not exceed half of an employee’s working hours. This should not result in an actual extension or reduction of individual working hours.
It is important that periods during which employees are unreachable remain in place. “Employees must have the right to disconnect, even when working remotely,” emphasizes Jürgen Kerner, chief treasurer of IG Metall and a member of the Siemens supervisory board. “This requires company agreements that take current experiences into account and protect employees from the drawbacks of work without clear boundaries. It won’t work without an intensive dialogue with the employee side.”
Many employees are likely to be open to these new forms of work-location arrangements, as seen at Siemens. TheHans Böckler Foundation, which is affiliated with the labor movement, found in a survey that about half of those who currently work from home a lot or exclusively want to continue doing so even after the COVID-19 crisis.
