Katrin Haupt, Managing Director of DEKRA Akademie GmbH.

© Dekra Academy

Last May, the Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt) of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities conducted a representative survey to investigate the prevalence and acceptance of working from home - i.e. after the stricter new home office regulations came into force. A total of 1,559 adult working internet users in Germany were surveyed. According to the authors, this latest survey complements two earlier waves of the bidt's home office survey and thus allows analyses over the course of the pandemic.

The results show that home office use has continued to increase. The home office regulations in force in Germany since April 23 (and the strictest to date) have once again slightly increased home office use. In May 2021, 52% of employees were working from home at least occasionally. 46% even worked from home several times a week. The potential for working from home has therefore been exhausted, especially among frequent home office users.

And in the future? The majority of employees would like to continue to use the home office potential that exists for their activities after the coronavirus pandemic. Around 55% of respondents would like to be able to work from home at least occasionally. A clear majority of 80% of the employees surveyed who consider working from home to be possible in principle stated that the employer's view of working from home has improved as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Working from home as an important factor in the battle for skilled workers

The option to work from home is already an important factor in employer attractiveness, as around 72% of all employees whose job allows them to work from home in principle consider a suitable home office option to be important when choosing a new job in the future.

Especially in the competition for scarce skilled workers, working from home will increasingly become a competitive factor for companies after the coronavirus pandemic, according to Roland A. Stürz, head of the study. "Companies need to focus not only on the home office options themselves, but also on the appropriate equipment for their employees' workplaces at home and the development of new skills and leadership qualities."

Katrin Haupt, Managing Director of DEKRA Akademie, also emphasizes the competitive factor: "I see it the same way. Many employees have recognized the benefits of working from home and no longer want to do without it. It also offers employers the opportunity to expand their search radius and approach candidates who would not relocate for a position or who cannot work in the office permanently for other reasons."

However, she believes that companies will have to offer both, or - depending on the target group - a good combination. "Because not all employees are enthusiastic about working from home per se or have the opportunity to work well at home."

One point is often overlooked in the discussion: "In cities with high rents, many people live in very cramped conditions, for example young professionals in shared flats or families without a separate study. I therefore assume that it will come down to hybrid models". The idea is to have certain attendance times, for example one office day a week. On the other days, employees could then decide for themselves where they work. "Now that the IT systems are set up and functioning accordingly, this is easier to implement than in the past, when remote working in companies and public authorities was often not envisaged and was associated with many concerns," says Haupt.

Working at DEKRA Akademie itself will also no longer be the same as it was before the pandemic. "We are currently planning to adapt our premises in the head office accordingly, i.e. there will be fixed and flexible workstations. The option of mobile working will become an integral part of our corporate culture, embedded in a changed working culture. It is important to us to make managers fit for working with virtual teams. Above all, we want to promote interdisciplinary collaboration within the company, break down departmental thinking and establish 'joint tasks'."