Germany sees tension over remote work and office mandates

German employers are facing legal and organizational challenges regarding the reduction of remote work. A ruling by the Düsseldorf Labor Court (case number 3 Ca 6587/25) declared an employer's instruction invalid after they attempted to mandate office presence four days a week for an IT employee who had worked remotely for years. The court found that the employer failed to provide sufficient reasoning as to why increased physical presence would resolve specific communication and organizational issues within a SAP project.

Simultaneously, Deutsche Bahn is moving to increase office presence. A company spokesperson confirmed plans to promote in-person collaboration to facilitate faster decision-making and more efficient use of office space. At the Berlin headquarters, a mandatory three-day weekly presence is being considered, a policy already implemented at the subsidiary DB Regio. While the company notes that these changes primarily affect office-based staff rather than frontline operational employees, labor representatives have expressed resistance, noting that many employees expected pandemic-era remote work arrangements to remain permanent.