Hybrid working in Germany: how does it differ to the rest of the world?
Ever wondered what hybrid working looks like in other countries? We thought it would be worthwhile to look into different hybrid working models around the world – specifically in Germany, to see how they differ to the policies here in the UK.
Does the size of the company affect their flexibility with hybrid working?
It appears that the adoption of hybrid working still varies from industry to industry, however research shows that medium and large sized German companies of 100 – 1,000 employees are allowing more employees to work from home for approximately three days per week, in comparison to smaller companies of 1 – 99 people. Twice as many respondents working for larger companies said that they were able to work partially from home. In the UK, the larger the business, the more likely it is that employees are working from home full-time, which seems to be the case for Germany too – or at least it’s heading that way.
This could be because larger companies are beginning to recognise the benefits that comes with out-of-office working, which not only provides more flexibility and a sense of trust for employees from their employers, but it also saves businesses a huge amount in office-space costs.
What type of employees are working a hybrid model in Germany?
Gender
In Germany, it seems that men are missing the office more than women. It is said that women are more likely to make social plans outside of work, whereas men seem to rely on the social interaction within the workplace – although this may not be in every case.
Age
It may come as a shock that employees aged 45+ in Germany are more likely to be able to use a hybrid working model, with younger employees less likely. This is because internal hierarchy affects a lot of the decision making, and those who are older tend to be working more senior positions.
30% of the UK workforce is working remotely this year across all age brackets. It does appear that those over the age of 55 would be more interested in working from home on a permanent basis, but this is not in any way restricting other age groups.
Industry
Remote-working opportunities are mostly given in the German Service sector, where 35.3% worked from home in April. Germany have seen a steep decrease in home and hybrid working for the Automotive sector, falling to 17.8% in April from 28.4% earlier this year.
In the UK, individuals in professions, including Law and Accounting, are most likely to work remotely, whilst factory workers and those working with machinery are least likely to be offered remote work, due to the nature of the role.
Education
German university students with degrees may have a better chance of working remotely than those without. Research shows that 44% of hybrid employees have a high school diploma or a university degree, whereas only 22% of students with secondary-education qualifications have access to hybrid working.
How do they compare?
Although we have uncovered some differences across both the UK and Germany hybrid working models, we have also seen some clear similarities in the way our work is shifting and where our expectations lie for the future of hybrid working.
It seems that Germany is less inclined to promote hybrid working across further industries and among wider age groups, at least when comparing to the UK. A very gradual return to the office is on the cards for Germany for 2022.
Considering a role in Germany? Check out our page on all things IT & Technology Recruitment in Germany.