Publications

The spread of the coronavirus in Germany has led to an epidemic situation of national importance. The declaration of this situation by the German Bundestag is a unique process which, as is not difficult to see, has a deep impact on many areas of life. The epidemic situation and the associated restrictions lead to in some cases extreme deviations, especially in the working environment. During the corona pandemic, a large number of employers have switched to enabling their employees to work from home. Through that, it became possible to reduce the impact of the pandemic on companies to some extent.

According to § 3 ArbSchG (German Occupational Safety and Health Act), it is the employer’s responsibility to take measures for occupational safety and health, thus ensuring a safe working environment for employees. This also applies in principle if employees do not perform their work on the company premises, but work from home or remotely.

In 2020, the home office has turned from an exceptional case to a standard solution due to the corona crisis. Despite the challenges of working from home, many employees enjoy the increased flexibility. Especially in the sometimes rainy German summer, it surely sounds tempting to work from the beach in Spain or with a beautiful view of the Norwegian fjords. Although technology may well make such scenarios possible, it has to be kept in mind that relocating the home office abroad will result in special tax and social security regulations that both employer and employee must take into account. Sometimes the question of a work permit also becomes important.

Working in the home office brings with it a range of new challenges. Special precautions should be taken when dealing with personal data and other confidential information in the employment context when working outside the company.

Most accidents happen in the home, and home office time makes no exception. In recent months, more and more employers have been making working from home possible for their employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But what happens when employees get injured in the home office?