German Government Argues About the Right to Work From Home

The German government parties are arguing about the right to work from home.

The Social Democratic Minister for Employment, Hubertus Heil, wants employees to be able to work from home at least 24 days a year, even after the corona crisis.

But Chancellor Merkel’s coalition partner in Berlin, Chancellor Merkel’s Christian Democrats, does not like that.

According to the Christian Democrats, working from home leads to extra paperwork. This bureaucracy puts an additional burden on entrepreneurs in these corona times, say politicians from the CDU and CSU faction.

Heil emphasizes that the law only applies if working from home is possible at a company. On Monday he did receive support from the Minister for the Environment, SPD party member Schulze.

She points to the benefits for the climate if fewer people travel to work, for example, less polluting traffic jams.

It is a step towards more excellent environmental protection, Schulze told German media. It is estimated that professional traffic would fall by 8 percent.