Can I wash my laundry now?

The corona pandemic is officially over. Nevertheless, many people are still allowed to work from home from time to time. But: Can I actually wash my laundry now or quickly rinse the dishes? We take a look at the home office rules in Germany.

The home office has not really established itself in Germany. At least that shows the development in many German companies after the government cashed in on the last rules relating to the corona virus.

The vast majority of employees are allowed to use mobile working one day a week – if at all. In fact, after the pandemic, what had been indicated during the pandemic came true: many (German) bosses are careful to monitor their employees.

Home office rules: What is officially and legally allowed?

Although the vast majority of Germans will have worked from home for the first time by 2020 at the latest, there are still many questions. Can I wash, hang up or fold my laundry in my home office? And: What about the short phone call with your best friend?

In fact, the legal session is relatively unambiguous. in one interview explains employment lawyer Simon A. Fischer:

During working hours, private activities are taboo, because fraudulent working hours is a reason for termination and is even punishable.

Or to put it another way: anyone who does their laundry at work, has a leisurely coffee with the family or loads and unloads the dishwasher is breaking the law. If your own employer discovers something of the sort, you may even be threatened with termination.

Private phone call and toilet: What do the home office rules say about this?

First of all, going to the toilet: If you have to go to the toilet, you have to go to the toilet. This applies in the office as well as in the home office. And if you suffer from a gastrointestinal disease or have eaten something bad, you can go to the toilet more often without consequences.

With private phone calls, the legal situation is a bit trickier. In principle, any form of non-professional communication does not belong in the workplace. But of course it is okay to make important and urgent phone calls or to send messages.

A simple rule applies to all employees: Keep it as short as possible. Because as soon as the phone call gets out of hand, you should make sure that you add this time to your regular working hours.

Job done – now what?

But what is the situation if I have completed my professional work for the day before the end of regular working hours? In principle, you are then – as in the office – obliged to offer yourself.

That means you should call or email your colleague or supervisor and ask if you can still take on tasks. Basically, fast working in the home office is not rewarded by the legislator.

In practice, however, your employer can hardly check what you do in the home office. As long as your work performance is good and you completely fulfill your workload, hardly any employer will be aware of any breaks.

Above all, the fundamental question arises: In 2023, will it still be appropriate to evaluate employees according to their working hours? Or shouldn’t employers start grading employees based on the work they’ve done?

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