Remote work trends and legislative updates in Germany and Switzerland

Recent developments regarding remote work highlight both sociological trends and legislative shifts in Europe. A study published in ‘Work, Employment and Society’ examines digital presence behavior among home-based employees in Germany. The research identifies three facets of digital presence: digital availability, the visibility of work results, and the faking of presence. Findings indicate that higher occupational status correlates with increased digital availability, while job insecurity is linked to higher levels of all three behaviors. Additionally, job dissatisfaction was found to encourage the faking of presence while reducing the visibility of actual work results.

In Switzerland, the Council of States' Economic Affairs Committee is deliberating updates to labor laws to better accommodate home office environments. Proposed changes include extending the daily window in which work can be distributed from 14 to 17 hours, allowing for greater flexibility for employees who take breaks during the day. However, the committee has rejected proposals for a formal ‘right to disconnect’ and maintains that Sunday work will still require official authorization.