Flexible working models have become increasingly popular in German companies, according to a survey by the Munich Ifo Institute for personnel service provider Randstad. The survey found that around a third of employees worked partially from home during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, this proportion fell to around a quarter in May 2022 and has since stabilized at around 25 percent.
The survey, which regularly polls HR managers in Germany, revealed that 61 percent of companies offer home office for office work or similar activities, with an average of 6.4 days per month. The report also noted variations among sectors, with 74 percent of industrial companies allowing telework for an average of 6.2 days per month compared to only a third of retail companies with an average of 5.7 days per month.
The survey also highlighted a correlation between company size and the availability of home office options. Nearly every third company with fewer than 50 employees offers remote work, while it rises to two-thirds for companies with 50 to 249 employees and 90 percent for companies with 250 to 499 employees. In large corporations, the option is offered by almost everyone (94 percent). Furthermore, the average number of days allowed per month for home office increases with company size, ranging from 5.5 days for companies with 50 to 249 employees to 7.1 days for companies with more than 500 employees.
Compared to the previous year, the survey found a decrease in the overall availability of working from home, particularly in commercial establishments and smaller companies. The average number of days granted per month has also decreased across all sectors and company sizes, except for very large companies, where an average of two more days are now granted compared to 2022.
The survey also revealed that IT service providers work extensively from home offices.
