Checking gas prices every day continues to frustrate most commuters. So far, there’s no sign of any noticeable relief.

What worked well during the pandemic – at least for many employees – might also be a solution now: working from home.

But be careful: Working from home isn’t possible without consulting your employer, since the employer determines the workplace, and employees must bear the increased commuting costs as part of their own commuting risk. In any case, under current law, there is no general right to work from home. Rather, the parties to the employment contract must work together to find appropriate solutions. One possibility is an individual provision in the employment contract or a collective bargaining agreement. If working from home is not feasible due to the nature of the work, the employer can offset the increased costs, for example, through travel expense allowances. However, there is no legal entitlement to this either.

Conclusion: There is no legal right to work from home. A way to counteract the rise in fuel prices could be through individual employment contract provisions or collective bargaining agreements regarding working from home, or, for example, through travel expense allowances provided by the employer. In any case, both parties are required to work together to find a balanced solution that adequately takes both sets of interests into account.