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Comment by BartjeD | Hacker News Reader

That's probably because you're a freelancer, which makes it a point for negotiation business to business.

Employees have a legal right to work from home, so far as is reasonable in their circumstances and their employer's. There is legislation and jurisprudence on that, which makes it a lot less soft than it at first appears. The boss can't just say 'no'.

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You have, in some countries, the legal right "to request" work from home under laws typically aimed at flexible working. But that's it.

A company can, for any reasonable reason, decline the request.

> You have, in some countries, the legal right "to request" work from home under laws typically aimed at flexible working. But that's it.

I would think, generally speaking, you have the right to request anything of anyone anywhere. Do those laws do anything?

Probably forcing the creation of a paper trail for possible future litigation

The idea behind those laws is you cannot be fired for asking this.

I believe some of these flexible working request laws mean that companies must consider whether it's reasonable (for the business) and allow it if it's reasonable.

It's fairly toothless in most jurisdictions since businesses can just say it's unreasonable and not elaborate.

They force the employer to give a reason, and that reason has to be "reasonable", i.e. can be fought in courts if it's "that's just how we do it here".

Most cases do have some notable restrictions on that.

For instance, requesting sex in exchange for money is illegal in most places.

Requesting someone commit a crime on your behalf in exchange for money or other compensation as well (conspiracy, usually).

Several other examples too - requesting someone fix their prices, agree to not compete with you in exchange for the same, etc.

Where is this legal right to work from home? It does not exist in Germany as well as in couple northern countries. Is this a thing for Netherlands?

Think so. It's also (sort of) true where I work (Hungary) if you are a parent of a child under the age of 7. It's not so much an automatic right as the right to request alternative work arrangements (home office, flexitime, etc.), and your employer can't just say 'no', they have to demonstrate the reasons that that's not acceptable (whatever arrangement you requested).

There is no legal right to work from home in The Netherlands. The only law we have is that an employer should give you a good reason to work from the office.

> Employees have a legal right to work from home

Sorry but that’s a fantasy. I live in Germany and that is 100% not the case here. You might be able to negotiate it if you are an especially valuable employee but normally no chance

I agree on the Germany perspective here. Although I may add, from my experience and what I observed on media, the return to office push post Covid wasn’t nearly as extreme here in Germany as it was in the US.

I and my entire department still work mostly from home, with 2-3 days/month onsite. Pre Covid this would have been unimaginable, now there are multiple departments operating this way

Yes, German work/employment culture is a crab barrel where every quality of life improvement has to be fought for tooth and nail.. The Netherlands cemented WFH as a right after the Corona period when it had shown to not negatively impact productivity while positively impacting quality of life for employees.

"Employees have a legal right to work from home,"

We're just making shit up now, huh

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