Some German Companies Now Offering Work from Vacation Destinations
New forms of work are only slowly gaining acceptance in Germany. Some 8 percent of German companies offer their employees the opportunity to also work from their vacation destination, finds the latest Randstad ifo Personnel Manager Survey. In some cases, this involves a reduction in working hours. “In the competition for skilled workers, this can be a means of giving employees a better work-life balance,” says Julia Freuding from the ifo Institute’s Fürth Branch. So far, however, only 3.3 percent of the workforce at companies that offer this option have made use of it.
Among service providers, 10 percent of the companies surveyed offer work from vacation locations. In manufacturing, the figure is 8 percent, while in trade it is just 2 percent. According to the survey, the duration ranges from a few days to several months. “This form of work is not feasible in every profession, but it will become more important where working from home has become established,” Freuding says.
Alternatively, employees can take a sabbatical for up to one year. Around one-fourth of the companies surveyed offer this option. Of the personnel managers surveyed, 17 percent were unsure whether this offer can be taken up in their companies. This form of time off is not permitted in 59 percent of companies. However, the bigger the company, the more likely it is to offer sabbaticals: only 9 percent of small companies but 54 percent of large companies offer them.
Another option is educational leave. This is a statutory entitlement in almost all German Länder, but not in Bavaria or Saxony. Nevertheless, 40 percent of companies in Bavaria and 31 percent in Saxony offer educational leave. This contrasts sharply with Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where 88 percent of the companies make such leave available. Overall, 59 percent of companies offer educational leave, although on average only 3.5 percent of employees in these companies actually take advantage of it.
From Vacation Pay to Sabbaticals – What Is Common Practice in German Companies? (1st Quarter 2023)
In the first quarter of 2023, the Randstad ifo Personnel Manager Survey focused on the vacation culture in German companies. On average, these grant 29 days of recreational leave.
