Working from Home as a Challenge

In 2025, around 58 percent of companies offered their employees the option to work from home, according to a survey by Bitkom. However, the figures were higher in previous years, as working from home was not always “successful.”

To truly use working from home effectively, a well-thought-out strategy is essential. After all, hybrid work—combining on-site work and remote work—naturally comes with situation-specific advantages and disadvantages. What these are and how to deal with them is explained below.

Advantages of Working from Home

Your employees save commuting time and costs.
Greater time flexibility makes it easier for them to balance work and private life.
For employees with disabilities or limitations, access to the labor market improves, as the home environment is usually already adapted to specific needs.
You can recruit regardless of location, which significantly eases the search for skilled workers.
Your company may benefit from lower basic costs for office space and equipment, as well as reduced electricity and water expenses.
Trust in employees’ ability to work independently conveys appreciation, and satisfied employees are less likely to change jobs.
And of course, the environment benefits as well—from reduced traffic volumes to fewer air-conditioned office spaces.

Disadvantages of Working from Home

Working from home can weaken team cohesion, and employees’ attachment to your company may suffer.
Data protection can also be a concern, especially when employees work with sensitive data.
For employees, working remotely without personal contact with colleagues and supervisors can have negative effects, as certain developments or moods within the company are often only picked up through direct, personal interaction (even informal “water-cooler talk”).
Informal idea exchange or support in problem-solving is often easier and faster when working together on-site.
Onboarding and knowledge transfer are more complex at a distance; learning by observation largely disappears.
Achievements are noticed less than in the office, which can negatively affect employee satisfaction.
Employees working from home tend to blur the line between professional and private time and, in extreme cases, may even forgo taking sick leave (“since they are at home anyway”) and try to recover while continuing to work.

What Makes a Successful Working-from-Home Strategy?

A successful working-from-home strategy requires commitment from both sides. Below are some suggestions on how it can work well in your company.

- For You as an Employer

Provide all necessary technical and other resources (important: don’t forget data security!).
Clarify all labor law–related questions and entitlements in advance.
Agree on expectations regarding work performance.
Check the practical feasibility of tasks.
Regulate working hours and break times.
Define communication channels and availability.
Organize regular virtual meetings or conference calls (e.g. a daily morning call).
Create space for personal, informal exchange or problem-solving outside fixed meetings.
Plan regular in-person meetings at the company.
And last but not least: occasionally show appreciation and/or understanding for the specific challenges of working from home—this strengthens employees’ attachment to the company!
(Perhaps with a company outing?)

- For Your Employees

Establish a clear daily routine.
Stick to fixed working hours, even when working from home.
Define goals for the day.
Minimize distractions and, if possible, set up a separate workspace.
Take regular breaks, move around, and maintain a healthy diet.
Clarify open questions with the company or colleagues in good time and address problems openly.
Make use of regular in-person meetings at the company.

Because the Health of Your Employees Matters

As part of the ARBEIT: SICHER + GESUND (ASUG) program, the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) has developed comprehensive labor law and occupational health and safety recommendations for designing healthy hybrid screen-based work:
“BMAS Recommendations for Good Hybrid Screen Work”