Questions and Answers About Mobile Working at TU Berlin

The agreement, signed by the Executive Board and staff councils in late June 2021, can be found online (currently only in German).

Mobile working refers to work that is not tied to a physical location. In agreement with your supervisor, mobile working allows you to choose to work from anywhere outside of TU Berlin. However, you must be able to work and fulfill your responsibilities. 

The agreement applies to all TU staff, including student assistants. However, it excludes any work which must be conducted on site, such as staffing information desks, craft and trade, laboratory supervision, etc.

Mobile working is completely voluntary. You will still have a desk or workspace on campus.

You can work remotely for up to 40 percent of your monthly working hours. This may mean working off campus two days per week, or one week per month, or even individual days or hours here and there. The details can be flexibly adjusted in agreement with your manager or supervisor. You also have the option to only work 10 or 30 percent of your working hours remotely, or even just a few individual days each year.

You can select any location in Germany for mobile working. Mobile working abroad is not permitted for now.

Until further notice, TU Berlin will operate two different instruments which allow you to work outside of the University: teleworking and mobile working.

Teleworking refers to working from home and requires you to work from a fixed equipped workspace. You also work fixed hours which you have arranged with your supervisor or manager.

Mobile working is more flexible in every aspect: You can work from anywhere, such as from a desk in your own apartment or elsewhere, the train, a café, or at your in-laws. Your reasons for working remotely do not play a role. You can also work more flexible hours when working remotely and do not always have to work 9-17:30.

Your supervisor must approve your request to work remotely. The request and approval are managed digitally in the TU portal. If your supervisor does not approve your request, it will be forwarded to Human Resources, and an individual solution will be sought.

You only submit a general request for mobile working in the TU portal. All details, including the days/hours and how you are to be reached, are discussed with your supervisor or manager.

The same applies for availability by phone. The TU Berlin/Staff Council agreement states: "Mobile working must be organized in such a way that the employee remains in contact with their unit/team. In principle, suitable technical aids are to be used to allow employees working remotely to be contacted by colleagues, other organizational units, or students.

The rules regarding working hours are the same as when you work on campus. Please refer to the relevant TU Berlin/Staff Council agreements. Mobile working is not a "free pass" to work at night or on the weekend.

No, employees are not entitled to equipment provided by the University. All units are responsible for decisions regarding the procurement of official work aids. Costs for electricity, internet, etc. will not be reimbursed.

Annual evaluations are planned as well as an in-depth evaluation after the first three years.

The agreement is irrevocable until the end of 2025. If the agreement is cancelled after 2025, all parties are obligated to discuss a new agreement with the aim of continuing the instrument with any necessary adjustments.

Section 3 (1) of the TU Berlin/Staff Council Agreement on mobile working (DV Mobiles Arbeiten) states that staff should apply via their own TU portal. It is not possible to apply via email or in writing.

No. Please contact mobilesarbeiten(at)tu-berlin.de and request the name of your supervisor to be changed. If you have already submitted an application with the wrong supervisor name, please withdraw your application and submit a new application with the correct supervisor.

You can start using mobile working as soon as your supervisor approves your application. You and your supervisor will be informed of this in an automatic email.

Your supervisor will be informed by email when you submit your application. If your supervisor does not process your application, the system generates an automatic reminder after 7, 14 and 18 days. If your application is not processed within 21 days, your application will be automatically forwarded to your Human Resources Team as "approved following expiry of deadline." You will be informed by email and can start working remotely until a final decision is made by your Human Resources Team. The final decision is made by Human Resources in consultation with representatives from the relevant staff representative bodies.

If you would like to use mobile working for both positions, you have to submit separate applications. The app allows you to select the position you wish to apply for.

 

In principle, the tasks assigned to a member of staff must be suitable for mobile working. In-person office hours, working at a helpdesk, operating technical equipment, or working with original documents and files are examples of tasks where mobile working is not possible

No, the agreement applies to all staff at TU Berlin (see Section 1 of the TU Berlin/Staff Council agreement on mobile working), with the exception of trainees and apprentices.

Yes, you can then work up to 50 % of your hours away from your official place of work each month (see Section 2 (4) of the TU Berlin/Staff Council agreement on mobile working for details regarding the period of calculation). You need to submit a separate application for teleworking. Please refer to the requirements and general conditions of the TU Berlin/Staff Council Agreement on teleworking (DV Telearbeit). If you are already working 50 % of your hours as teleworking, it is not possible to apply for mobile working.

Yes, if your professional duties mean that it is not possible to work 40% of your hours remotely, it is possible to agree a lower percentage.

In special approved cases, it may also be possible to agree a higher percentage. This is only possible for a shorter period of time (e.g. 2 weeks) and must be discussed with your supervisor, who must also approve your application in writing.

You can work 40% of your hours as mobile working each month. With the agreement of your supervisor, you can spread this time over the entire month as you wish or work remotely for one week at a time. It is not possible to carry any of your mobile working allowance into the next month.

No, this is not possible as it would involve working 100% of your hours remotely over a period of some five months. In addition, tax, social security and liability regulations apply when working abroad, which neither you nor your department can estimate in advance. Mobile working abroad is therefore not permitted for now. 

You should record your hours using the time sheets provided for this purpose. You can enter additional information in the comments field.

Yes, although vacation days must be strictly separated from (mobile) working days.

Yes, you need to apply again if the work you perform changes. You supervisor needs to assess if your new duties are suitable for mobile working.

No, as long as a change of supervisor does not result in a change of duties for you. If your new supervisor does not agree with mobile working for operational reasons, they can seek to have approval rescinded (cf. Section 3 (4) of the TU Berlin/Staff Council agreement on mobile working).

Yes.

Yes, this is permissible within the scope of their managerial authority.

Please contact the mobile working team at mobilesarbeiten(at)tu-berlin.de.