Deutsche Bahn is planning a significant reduction in the scope of work done remotely from home. This decision was confirmed by a corporate spokesperson following an inquiry by Spiegel.
The board has focused on establishing a stronger presence in the office, reaffirming the objective of gradually increasing collaborative work on site. According to the spokesperson, increased time in the office strengthens cooperation, facilitates exchanges among colleagues, and helps accelerate the decision-making process. Furthermore, the company aims to optimize the utilization of its office spaces and permanently reduce areas that are not needed.
In the central office in Berlin, for instance, a requirement for staff to be physically present for three days in the future appears likely-a rule that the regional subsidiary DB Regio has already introduced. Currently, the entire group mandates only one day per week for teams to meet in person.
However, the spokesman noted that the overall group still has not made a final decision; the board is currently engaging in detailed discussions with the subsidiary companies to determine the next steps. He added that these new regulations will only affect a minority of the workforce. For two-thirds of DB employees, these questions are not relevant, as they have historically worked daily on the railway business, serving the company’s customers.
Despite assurances regarding the scope of the changes, the announcements have caused considerable dissatisfaction among those potentially affected. One labor representative lamented that they had assumed the expanded home office options, implemented during the COVID crisis, would remain in place. “We missed the opportunity after Corona to say that the experiment is over,” he stated. Furthermore, there is suspicion that the railway is making certain jobs intentionally less attractive as part of its restructuring process. “If the company intends to reduce staff anyway, this is naturally a viable measure,” the representative added.
