This is a flexible working model, for which terms such as mobile work or remote work are also used. However, these terms do not go far enough: hybrid work basically gives employees the freedom to choose when and where they want to carry out their work. This juxtaposition of presence work in the office and home office, tailored to personal needs, aims at a better work-life balance. There are some advantages associated with this, but there are still unanswered questions to be answered.
What found its way into many companies as a stopgap solution during the Corona pandemic could become established in the long run: Hybrid working represents a compromise between work in presence and home office. For organisational reasons, many employers are moving towards at least specifying the days on which employees in a particular area are to work on-site in the office. While this contradicts the basic idea of giving employees as much flexibility as possible, it does, on the other hand, ensure certain team measures such as presence meetings. In any case, the decisive factor is the individual agreements between the company and the employees, which should meet company needs as well as individual ones.
The following points need to be clarified in such a solution:
During the pandemic-related shift of work to the home office, occupational health and safety was naturally neglected, although there are clear regulations on the necessary condition of workplaces. However, compliance is difficult to monitor, because even a contractually fixed right of access for the employer can hardly be practised. As an alternative, companies enquire about the conditions in the home office with the help of a checklist. Conversely, however, this means that only those employees are allowed to work in the home office who can demonstrate an acceptable workplace at home in terms of occupational health and safety.
Even in the home office, employees' working hours should be recorded accurately. However, an electronic time recording system is often missing enough in hybrid working practice - at least until now. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) had already ruled in 2019 that employers in the EU should ensure reliable recording of working time. The implementation into applicable German law is expected. Currently, many companies delegate time recording to employees. It makes sense to agree on a time window of availability with employees in the home office in order to avoid overwork - because many employers equate hybrid working with permanent availability of employees.
If employees no longer use their workplace in the company continuously, the employer can introduce some changes. The fact is that employees are neither entitled to a permanent workplace nor to their own office. Here, for example, the following are recommended Desk Sharing models, i.e. shared workplaces that require less office space. However, such changes should be approached with tact and a sense of proportion so as not to jeopardise the actual goal, namely improving employer attractiveness and employee satisfaction. Companies use Locaboo as desk sharing software to organise a desk sharing system via e.g. Desk sharing to ensure.
Let me say this in advance: The cost subsidies for working at home during the pandemic are or were due to the exceptional situation - as a rule, employers do not contribute to the costs of the employee. In most cases, companies even tie the authorisation for a home office to the employee's obligation to set up a workstation at home in accordance with the regulations. However, the rules for hybrid working are still evolving, which makes a clear contractual agreement that also allows for adjustments all the more important.
This is where the works council comes into play, which should be involved in drafting a relevant works agreement in accordance with section 87 (1) no. 14 of the Works Constitution Act (BetrVG). In principle, the works council cannot force the introduction of hybrid working, but it should play a significant role in shaping it. This also includes the points of recording and structuring working time as well as consequences for the workplace in the company.
In our blog article, you learned some information about hybrid working and the associated requirements in your company.
If you, as an employer, put yourself in the shoes of your employees, you will quickly realise the following:
With clear rules, a hybrid working model only brings advantages, both for employers and employees. Employees enjoy freedom, location-independent working and flexibility for their private lives. In return, the employer benefits from higher employee satisfaction and can save costs for office space - or even generate income by subletting the premises.
With the hybrid working software Locaboo, you receive precise data on the use of space in addition to the classic workplace booking and room booking. The shared use of desks, meeting rooms, parking spaces, etc. improves work organisation. In addition, external service providers can easily be given access and information about usage and requirements via the occupancy calendar.
