Swiss companies must help pay rent for employees working from home: court

Companies in Switzerland must contribute to their employees’ rent if they’re working from home, the country’s top court has ruled, according to reports.

The court made the ruling in a case brought by an employee of an accounting firm, who claimed his company was responsible for part of his rent while he was forced to work from home, Swissinfo reported, citing the German language Tages-Anzeiger newspaper.

The company argued they were not responsible for the rent payment because they had not made an agreement ahead of them working from home, according to the report.

But the court rejected the company’s argument — and even said an employee could retroactively recoup rent costs after leaving a company, the news organization reported.

The court ruled a monthly dividend of up to $154 for rent cost was warranted.

The ruling only applies to employees who work from home at their company’s orders — not workers who personally request to do so, according to the report.