Home office in the downward trend: The new reality of the world of work!

Home office in the downward trend: The new reality of the world of work!

Wien, Österreich - Today, the proportion of working people who can use home office is almost a quarter. However, the possibilities are very unevenly distributed. In the salary class over 3,100 euros per month, almost half of the employees have the opportunity to work in the home office. On the other hand, it is less than two percent in the lowest salary class who can use this. This analysis is based on over 27,000 current job advertisements, which were evaluated by NEJO. The increasing importance of home office is a clear trend mark on the labor market.

The distribution of these working models indicates a large gap, especially between well -earned and less well -rewarded professions. Article by [OE24] reports that companies are increasingly relying on further training to keep their employees; More than half of the job advertisements offer such programs. In addition to further training, incentives such as employee discounts and flexible working hours are attractive for many employees. While topics such as sustainability and mental health only play a subordinate role, measures are very different in the federal states.

vocational training in the home office

The home office is also becoming increasingly important in vocational training. According to [DGP], technical equipment and special soft skills are crucial, both for training and trainees. The trend towards integrating home office phases could help effectively build up competencies. Current studies show that 20 percent of the training companies allow their trainees to complete part of the training in the home office. This is often the case, especially in commercial-management professions, while commercial and technical professions are less often affected here.

However, there are concerns. Trainees report uncertainties and feelings of loneliness in the home office, even though they also appreciate the advantages, such as the elimination of commuting. However, the legal framework for training in the home office is still unclear, since these are not explicitly provided for in the Vocational Training Act. Nevertheless, current developments and change towards more flexibility speak for future integration.

home office in the job market

The importance of the home office is not only limited to the training. In 2023, around 25 percent of employees worked in the home office in Germany, according to Data from [Statista]. This is particularly pronounced in the IT service industry, where three quarters of the employees work partly in the home office. In contrast, it is only around six percent in healthcare. These differences illustrate the varying acceptance and the feasibility of home office depending on the industry.

The advantages of the home office are undisputed: employees benefit from an improved work-life balance and the saving of pendulum times. But the disadvantages cannot be ignored either. A lack of contact with colleagues and difficulties in switching off work are often mentioned problems. The technical requirements for the home office, such as access to a work laptop and fast internet, are also decisive. According to the current data, 92 percent of households in Germany have internet, whereby the availability of fast broadband internet between urban and rural regions varies.

Overall, it can be seen that the home office as a flexible work model has also become more important after pandemic. However, companies have to recognize the challenges and take suitable measures to fully exploit the advantages of the home office.