In general, the working conditions in many German companies seem to be getting more flexible. 61 percent of businesses and organizations with more than nine employees say that they now offer the option to work from home and/or remotely. At 60 percent of companies, employees can even switch up their work location several times during the week. Furthermore, an astounding 20 percent of businesses already allow a four-day week. Those are just some of the findings from a recent, representative online survey conducted by Civey on behalf of DMEXCO, which involved more than 1,000 HR managers from companies with over nine employees.
However, other surveys reveal that not all employees can actually utilize the offers. For example, in an online survey commissioned by DMEXCO in March 2022, also conducted by Civey, only 31 percent of the surveyed marketers and communication experts said they are able to work from home or remotely as an additional perk of their job. Janina Mütze, CEO of Civey, commented on the results: “There is a big discrepancy between whether you ask the HR managers of companies or the employees. The difference between the two values clearly shows that new forms of work such as remote working have now become established in many larger companies, but that only some employees benefit from them. In our latest survey for DMEXCO, we also didn’t ask managers from small businesses, because working from home, etc., often isn’t possible there for operational reasons.”
Milko Malev, Director of Communications & Media at DMEXCO, provides an analysis: “The shortage of skilled professionals is becoming an ever-greater challenge for recruiters across all industries. The ‘war for talent’ demands maximum flexibility from employers if they want to win over the best talent going forward. The fact that three-quarters of companies are now offering flexible working time models shows that they have understood that.”
Flexible working time models: a fifth of companies are allowing a four-day week
Almost half (45 percent) of HR managers report that employees are requesting remote working in light of the coronavirus pandemic. A third of staff expect more flexible working hours. When it comes to organizing working time in a new way, part-time (72 percent), flextime (69 percent), and trust-based working hours (33 percent) are the most common flexible work models at companies. According to the surveyed HR managers, 20 percent of businesses even allow a four-day week. Many companies have therefore already responded to the changing expectations of their employees.
And how are companies preparing for the possibility of a new Covid wave in winter? To contain a potential increase in infections, HR managers will mainly implement pragmatic measures, such as offering rapid tests (49 percent) and (re)introducing hygiene measures (43 percent). A quarter of HR managers are optimistic about the future and are not preparing for this scenario at all.
Image material for DMEXCO is available online at https://go.dmexco.com/press-downloads-dmexco.
