Law & occupational safety
What is the difference between home office, telework and mobile work?
Telework is a screen workstation permanently set up by the employer in the employee's home and falls under the German Workplace Ordinance. Mobile work is location-independent work without a fixed workstation; 'home office' is an everyday term for both.
The distinction has practical consequences: telework requires the Workplace Ordinance's screen-workstation rules, including risk assessment and employer-provided setup. For mobile work the ordinance does not apply in the same way, but occupational safety law does.
Regardless of classification, working time law, risk assessment and instruction duties remain. Even for mobile work you must assess hazards and provide suitable equipment.
In contracts, be explicit: if you agree mobile work, call it that rather than accidentally establishing a telework workstation.
Key points
- Telework: fixed workstation, Workplace Ordinance applies
- Mobile work: location-independent, no fixed workstation
- Safety law, working time law and instruction always apply
This page provides professional orientation, not legal or tax advice.
More answers
- Is a risk assessment mandatory for home office work?
- What fines apply for missing occupational safety in home offices?
- Is an accident in the home office a workplace accident?
- Do employees in Germany have a right to work from home?
- Does the works council co-determine remote work?
- Must working time be recorded when working from home?