What is a work-from-home allowance?
Since 2020 a shift has taken place within the labour market, resulting in a flexible work culture. Many employers offer employees the possibility to work partly from home. But when employees work from home, they also incur more costs. Think of water, electricity, heating costs, toilet paper, coffee and tea.
By offering a work-from-home allowance, an employer can partially compensate employees' work-from-home expenses.
A question that is often asked is whether, as an employee, you are entitled to a work-from-home allowance. The short answer is no. Employers are not legally required to offer their employees a work-from-home allowance.
The employment terms regarding working from home are usually recorded in collective labour agreements or individual employment contracts. An employer may therefore make arrangements with employees about a reimbursement for working from home. Offering a work-from-home allowance can contribute to employees' satisfaction and productivity in the long term.
What is possible for a work-from-home allowance?
There are no fixed rules, but there are a number of options for a work-from-home allowance that employers can consider:Reimbursement for home workplace:
employers can offer reimbursement for the costs that employees incur when setting up their home office. Think, for example, of the purchase of ergonomic furniture such as an office chair or computer equipment.Internet- and telephone allowance: employees must use internet and telephone services for their work and employers can cover part of these costs.
Energy allowance: energy prices continue to rise. Working from home can lead to higher energy consumption, especially in the winter months. As an employer you can compensate extra costs.
Green employment conditions
In addition to a work-from-home allowance, more and more employers are thinking about green employment conditions. Sustainability and environmental awareness are important values for many employees. Employers' organization AWVN reports that employers are now increasingly engaged in making employment conditions more sustainable – also called greening –. Some examples of green employment conditions to be:
A bicycle plan: with a bike plan employees can buy a bike at a lower price. This stimulates sustainable commuting and reduces CO2 emissions.
Energy-efficient business operations: companies can take energy-saving measures, such as reducing waste and using green energy.
Flexible working hours and working from home: when employees can arrange their time flexibly and work from home, unnecessary commuting is avoided, which contributes to a greener future.
Environmentally conscious reward programs: employers can reward green choices, for example the use of electric vehicles or using public transport.
