Despite the end of the home office obligation, many companies are only slowly opening their offices.
(Photo: Stone/Getty Images)
As of this week, there is no longer a home office requirement in Germany’s companies. And yet: There is a high probability that you will only notice something of it to a limited extent in the next few days.
Many companies, especially the big ones, are reluctant to open their offices. The reason is mainly record levels in the incidences. But it’s also the employees. Many do not want to return to a new normality so quickly – whatever it looks like.
And that doesn’t just have to do with high infection rates or long commutes. It also has to do with the office itself. Or more precisely: with the culture it embodies.
Of course, offices are places of collaboration. But they are also places of power and ruthlessness. In offices there is discrimination, slander, bullying, sexual harassment, phone calls are made very loudly and a cup is put in the dishwasher less often than in a student residence.
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It wasn’t long ago that CEO elevators and boardrooms were not only part of everyday life in German business, they were also desirable status symbols for many managers to literally set themselves apart from others. Certainly a lot has changed in such insignia of power in recent years – not least due to the pandemic. In many clichés about the office, however, there is not only a grain of truth, it is a whole sparkler.
The pandemic has been like a pause button on all of this – and for some employees it has certainly been something of an escape from the office circus. Many employees have noticed that it is also possible to be more self-determined, less agitated, more efficient. And even the coffee tastes better at home.
Corporate culture: no border between office and home office
Executives must not smile at all this, they must take it seriously. Very seriously. Because of course there are no separate office and home office cultures, there is only one corporate culture – no matter how and where someone works. But how a company deals with the home office question says a lot about this culture – and about the relationship of trust between employees and company.
A first step towards improvement is: make yourself honest. As with any major problem, this initially requires acceptance on both sides. Employers need to recognize that employees sometimes need a break from the office because it makes them feel better.
Conversely, employees must accept that working from home must not lead to isolation and that points of contact and exchange are needed for collaboration.
Hybrid work – i.e. the mix of office and home work – means that both sides are heard. Actually a win. Many of us just have to learn to see it the same way.
More: The obligation to work from home ends – Germany’s offices still remain empty