Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

In this specific case, because it would help the company as a whole and save or generate money elsewhere. The incentives do not necessarily have to cost tax money but could be a zero-sum game. A discount on the professional association contributions could make sense, for example, because there are fewer commuting accidents. Fewer commuters mean less strain on transport routes and infrastructure costs. Generally, higher satisfaction and more work-life balance as well as compatibility of family and career could lead to more productivity and lower absenteeism in the medium term. It is also conceivable that more people could be convinced to work longer under such conditions. Voluntarily – not because it is mandatory. This would, in turn, relieve the pension funds. Through the more even distribution of the population (living in rural areas becomes more attractive), more (small) businesses would settle there (supply and gastronomy), and then a snowball effect would occur, because more population and small businesses make such areas more attractive to companies whose professions require presence (craft businesses, etc.). From an economic perspective, one must not always think only from one's own forehead to the sidewalk in front of the door but must simulate the changes all the way through. Public investments can only be compared to business investments to a limited extent. The most extreme example is education. It takes 15-20 years for the investment to pay off, but anyone who is stingy there (as a state) has built their future on sand.

The wrong people asked....

Well, you can't say that across the board. It always depends on the individual life situation. If I’m between 20 and 30, I don’t have to live in the East German provinces. At that age, you’re still hungry, and I like it in Munich or Nuremberg as well. I also had very good times there. Over 40, priorities logically shift and the hustle and bustle of the big city just becomes annoying. The heat, the dirt, the crowding, the traffic.

Then you want to go to the countryside. And for the children, things are simply much better here in the East. The quality of schools as well as kindergartens. I don’t have to wait years for a daycare spot; I get one almost immediately.

3 km away from my place of residence is the largest Thuringian swimming pool. Historically from the 1920s, with 5000 sqm of water area. There are plenty of parking spaces, of course free, the bus stops in front of the entrance. It’s never overcrowded, rather empty during the week. The small gastronomy isn’t overrun. Large shady and sunny lounging areas, playground, water slide. There’s no security here and no aggressive migrants either. It’s completely relaxed.

On hot days, the big city was always torture for me. Outdoor pools or bathing lakes in Nuremberg. Yes, they exist but you haven’t been able to go there for a long time. How often did I then drive down to Rothsee in the evening. 50 km there and 50 km back home. Just to be able to swim for an hour. Then you come home with 5 ticks on your leg. Thanks a lot.

I have 22 km to my workplace. It takes exactly 20 minutes. In 5 years, I have never had a traffic jam. And maybe in a snowstorm I drive a few minutes longer, but I’m home on time every day.

I would also have stayed in the Nuremberg surrounding area, but the property prices were already much too high for me back then. Here in the East, everything is paid off, no loans, and that’s how life is correspondingly relaxed. I live here in the Saale Unstrut area, lots of winegrowing, great landscape, castles and palaces and a certain proximity to the metropolitan region of Leipzig. I can travel to Leipzig by public transport every hour. The bus stop to the S-Bahn is right at my doorstep. I’ve also had fast internet for many years.

From Erfurt I’m 2.5 hours by ICE to Munich central station or 1.5 hours to Berlin. But don’t worry, there is Bavarian Hefeweizen on tap here as well. That was very important to me.

Just as employees cannot be forced to come to the office permanently without any meaningful reason, supervisors cannot be forced to allow permanent home office.

Of course, employees can be forced to come to the office. Have you ever read the employment contract? The location is legally agreed upon. Whether one should do it is a completely different question and highly individual.

Of course, you can force employees to come to the office. Have you ever read the employment contract? The location is legally fixed. Whether one should do it is a completely different question and highly individual.

Have you ever read my post? "not permanently" - and that's exactly how it is, provided there are no compelling reasons. The hairdresser can’t do home office, the software developer can.

At some point, the employee is no longer in the office. Either because they are working from home, or because they are sick, or because they have resigned.

Not permanently without any meaningful reason.

Have you ever read my post? "not permanently" - and that's exactly how it is, unless there are compelling reasons. The hairdresser can't do home office, the software developer can.

Eventually, the employee is no longer in the office. Either because he is working from home or because he is sick or because he has quit.

Not permanently without any meaningful reason.

Yes, permanently. It's called an employment contract, it was signed that way, it's written there.

Whether Karl-H. in Hintertupfingen will find skilled workers like this in the future remains to be seen.

Yes, in the long run. It's called an employment contract, it was signed that way, it's written in there. Whether Karl-H. in Hintertupfingen will find skilled workers like that in the future remains to be seen.

Then go through the DAX companies from the top and tell me which of them can or could do 100% on-site. Look at what open rebellion is triggered by the companies you so amusingly call Karl-H. in Hintertupfingen, like Amazon etc., when demanding to come to the office. I had a site manager here who was a trained mechanical engineer and he wanted to walk through his halls daily and see his employees working. Then Corona came and he didn’t see them anymore because they were at home. So he forced them to come to the office more often (at that time four out of five days). Result: It was emptier than before because people wouldn’t put up with it anymore. The Karl-H. from Hintertupfingen was one of the largest German companies that regularly ranks number 1 among the most popular employers in Germany. Here there are people who openly say that they are not interested in a certain promotion because then they wouldn’t have 40% office time but 80% office time. The employment contract is valid exactly as long as you don’t terminate it.