Home office: Mercedes employees will have to go to the office again for four days a week in the future

Mercedes-Benz plans to require employees to work four days per week in the office, according to a new company-wide employment agreement. A spokesperson revealed this information upon request. This new agreement is intended to allow managers to designate up to four full-time workdays as on-site presence days without providing justification.

The spokesperson added that the aim is for these four days to become the standard moving forward. The previous company-wide employment agreement has been terminated by the company. The new agreement is expected to be approved by the works council at the company's locations and is set to take effect on January 1, 2027, if approved.

If not approved, the locations would remain open as of the end of March. Mercedes-Benz claims that negotiations with the works council preceded the creation of the new agreement. The previous agreement provided employees with considerable flexibility in choosing their work location. The new agreement will continue to allow for flexibility, as special exceptions will be discussed and approved between managers and employees, according to a letter sent to employees, which is available to the German Press Agency.

Mercedes-Benz also aims to reduce labor costs in Germany to become more competitive. The company's production director, Michael Schiebe, had threatened to close two German factories if labor costs were not reduced. There have been protests against the management's plans in the past. Audi, another German automaker, is facing significant production challenges in Germany and is already planning a new plant in the United States.