PRESS STATEMENT “IG Metall Welcomes the Legal Right to Mobile Work”

Christiane Benner: “IG Metall welcomes the fact that there is to be a legal right to mobile work.

IG Metall has conducted numerous surveys among employees in recent weeks. These consistently showed that the vast majority of employees would like to work from home two to three days a week in the future. In addition, respondents indicated that clear guidelines for setting up home offices—including clarification of the costs involved—are particularly important to them.

The BMAS draft is a first step in the right direction. Remote work has proven its worth during the COVID-19 crisis—including for many employers—and will transition from an exception to a standard part of work organization in many companies. Therefore, flexible options that promote work-life balance are needed, and these must be defined by the legislature within a framework of guidelines. At the company level, the specific requirements on-site can best be assessed and implemented by experts. From IG Metall’s perspective, a legal framework must therefore be established that gives works councils the necessary leeway while also protecting employees who do not have a works council.

Strengthening the right of co-determination for works councils is therefore absolutely necessary and requires an amendment to the Works Constitution Act.

The recognition of work activities under the Workplace Ordinance is also a positive step and, together with the required risk assessments, makes it clear that employee rights and occupational safety apply even when working from home.

The same applies to the requirement to digitally track working hours. Here, the legislature is complying with the European Court of Justice’s ruling, which stipulates that all working hours must, in principle, be recorded.

“The extension of insurance coverage to include travel time for child care closes an important gap in the work-life balance.”

Further information and press photos of Christiane Benner