Trade unions are outraged: labor rights in the home office should be relaxed

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The Economic Commission of the National Council believes that current work rules for home offices are outdated and wants to amend them. She therefore supports a proposal from FDP president Thierry Burkart (48), who wants to relax labor law. Burkart states that when working from home, employees want to tailor their working hours more flexibly to their personal needs. The current rules would make this impossible because there are strict requirements regarding daily rest periods and the ban on Sunday work.

Work almost around the clock

For example, today an employee is only allowed to deliver her work to her home within a period of 14 hours. “If work starts at 7 a.m., no work is allowed after 9 p.m. For example, an employee who picks up their child from daycare at 6 p.m. should not process urgent emails in the evening after the child has gone to bed,” Burkhart argues.

The current law therefore makes it more difficult to combine work and family. For people who can determine their own working hours, the FDP wants to expand the daily working time limit to 17 hours. In concrete terms, this would mean that the person would be allowed to work until midnight – even if he started at the computer at seven in the morning that same day, for example by answering his first emails.

No more permits for Sunday work

The Economic Committee approved Burkhart’s parliamentary initiative on Tuesday by 17 votes to 7. In addition, a permit is no longer required for Sunday work performed at home. Night and Sunday work are now prohibited – unless the company has the appropriate permit.

The FDP says the problem is by no means about increasing the number of working hours. The maximum working hours, the so-called maximum working hours, remain unaffected. People should be able to extend their working hours during the day. This corresponds to modern working methods. This is the only way to benefit from the opportunities that digitalization offers, according to an older announcement from the Liberals.

“Total attack on labor law”

The maximum working time today is 45 hours per week for employees in industrial companies, for office workers, technical and other staff and for sales staff in large retail companies. For all others, 50 hours per week applies.

The left is now furious about the committee’s decision. “A new home office scheme is being pushed forward to launch an all-out assault on labor law. Only recently have the social partners agreed on relaxation measures to accommodate affected sectors,” says SP national councilor David Roth (38).

Switzerland already has the longest working weeks and the most flexible employment conditions in Europe. “These proposals are extremely dangerous for the health of workers and, contrary to what their proponents claim, are contrary to a better balance between private and professional life,” said trade unionist Roth.

According to a press release, the trade union federation also fears ‘free work, stress and burnout’ if the law is changed. That is unacceptable. He will fight “such Wild West conditions.”

Source:Blick