Germany will not extend beyond the end of June a rule which forces companies to allow working from home because of the coronavirus pandemic, Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff was quoted as saying.

After first introducing a working from home obligation in January, the measure was anchored in “emergency brake” legislation that allows the government to impose lockdown measures if infections rise beyond certain thresholds.

As coronavirus infection numbers are sinking, the home office rule does not need to be extended on June 30, when the emergency law regulating the lockdown expires, Helge Braun, Merkel's chief of staff, told the WirtschaftsWoche weekly.

“The emergency brake will not be extended at this time because we have a favourable situation at the moment,” Braun said.