Nearly half, or 39%, of employers in Germany are offering employees the option to work from home in 2018, an increase of 9% from last year, according to survey data from German IT firm Bitkom.

The survey also showed that 51% of companies expect more home office offerings for employees over the next five to ten years.

According to Bitkom’s survey, 67% of employers state that a home office is not possible for all employees and that no one should be treated unequally. Meanwhile, 56% say that without direct exchange with colleagues, productivity falls and 32% fear that working hours cannot be controlled in this way.

"Digital technologies allow you to work anytime, anywhere. Home office is becoming the norm in companies, and that requires clear rules,” Bitkom CEO Bernhard Rohleder said. “In order to be productive in the home office, employees must be able to prioritise themselves and work on their own responsibly.”