[Switzerland] Homeworking rules and costs still under discussion

Last week the Swiss government once again recommended that, wherever possible, people should work from home. Homeworking is a proven way to slow the spread of COVID-19. The legal and practical realities of teleworking, however, are not entirely clear. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of employees working from home in Switzerland has doubled from 25 per cent to 50 per cent.

But the Geneva-based International Labour Organisation (ILO), reportedly believes that current teleworking experiences will have a long-term influence on how and where people work. The ILO survey’s results are mirrored by the findings of other surveys, including the social networking platform Xing. In Xing’s results, 85 per cent of personnel managers said the home office option would continue after the virus subsides. This raises questions about the legal right to work from home and whether an employer could force their employees to do so. SWI swissinfo.ch reports on the survey’s findings and the legalities around homeworking.

Last week the Swiss government once again recommended that, wherever possible, people should work from home. Homeworking is a proven way to slow the spread of COVID-19. The legal and practical realities of teleworking, however, are not entirely clear. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of employees working from home in Switzerland has doubled from 25 per cent to 50 per cent.

But the Geneva-based International Labour Organisation (ILO), reportedly believes that current teleworking experiences will have a long-term influence on how and where people work. The ILO survey’s results are mirrored by the findings of other surveys, including the social networking platform Xing. In Xing’s results, 85 per cent of personnel managers said the home office option would continue after the virus subsides. This raises questions about the legal right to work from home and whether an employer could force their employees to do so. SWI swissinfo.ch reports on the survey’s findings and the legalities around homeworking.