This year, attention has turned to the decision by U.S. corporate giant Amazon to call its employees back to the office from remote work. In October, Bolt also announced that all employees must work in the office at least two days a week going forward. Similarly, technology developer Playtech has required employees to work in the office at least three days a week since November.

The Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Climate and Ministry of Regional Affairs operate out of a building on Suur-Ameerika tänav in Tallinn, colloquially referred to as the "Superministry." Last week, Postimees highlighted the issue of numerous unoccupied workspaces in the building, as evidenced by the abundance of dark windows during twilight hours while the workday is still ongoing.

The Ministry of Social Affairs told the publication that out of 177 employees, 69 primarily work from home, 50 have their main workplace at the ministry building and the remaining employees split their time between home offices and the office.

ERR also inquired with other ministries about the proportion of their staff engaged in remote work and whether there are plans to make changes.

Kaie Karniol, head of the Ministry of Finance's shared services department, noted that the total leased area in the Superministry building is 16,000 square meters and is fully utilized, with no vacant spaces or rooms. However, there are not enough desks for all employees: there are a total of 1,356 staff members and 980 workstations, of which 27 are reserved for the police, the state's IT center, the state's support services center and the innovation team of the Government Office.

"This means that desks are available for 72 percent of ministry employees in the building," said Karniol, adding that there are no assigned seats for staff, though each ministry's workspace arrangements have been agreed upon.

"Based on October statistics, the maximum occupancy of workstations in the shared building was 76 percent. This was also influenced by factors such as business trips, sick leave and vacations – October included the school break, during which many employees with families were on leave," she explained.

According to Karniol, a persistent issue is the shortage of meeting and project rooms, as existing meeting spaces are already being shared across the entire building and ministries.

The Ministry of Finance currently employs a total of 260 staff members, but they have access to 178 workstations within the Superministry. Of these employees, 25 work fully remotely.

Ministry of the Interior looking for smaller premises

Aivi Sirp, head of the personnel policy department at the Ministry of the Interior, stated that all 170 of their employees have designated workspaces within the ministry building. However, during periods of high energy prices, a mandatory remote work day was implemented across the building as a cost-saving measure.

"While coming to the office on Fridays was not explicitly prohibited, heating was reduced to a minimum from Thursday evening until Sunday, so we recommended that employees work from home," she explained. "Since this arrangement proved effective operationally, we have continued it where feasible."

Sirp emphasized that everything depends on the organization of work within each department and the nature of specific tasks. According to her, the Ministry of the Interior has maintained a general guideline recommending that employees work in the office at least two days per week – a rule that has been in place for some time and is not currently being reconsidered.

"Whether work is more effective in the office or from home depends on the specific task or job. There are also certain roles that cannot be performed remotely," Sirp noted.

She added that the current building on Pikk tänav in Tallinn is too large for the ministry, even without considering remote work opportunities, and due to its age, the building has high energy costs. As a result, the ministry is collaborating with state real estate manager Riigi Kinnisvara (RKAS) to find a new office space that better meets their needs.

"To preempt any potential questions about moving to the so-called Superministry building: this option has been thoroughly analyzed, but the space configurations there did not meet the Ministry of the Interior's requirements, and the government decided against the relocation," said Sirp.

She concluded by noting that when choosing future office space, the ministry will take into account modern trends, where having a designated workspace for each employee is no longer considered necessary.

No limitations on remote work being planned

The Ministry of Culture has 96 positions, with seven employees working abroad. Communications adviser Hannus Luure stated that all employees have a desk in their building, though three of these desks are shared, meaning two users per desk.

"The Ministry of Culture is a flexible employer and allows its staff to work remotely. The options and effectiveness of remote work depend on the individual, the nature of the work and departmental organization," Luure said, adding that the ministry does not plan to change its flexible work arrangements.

The main office of the Ministry of Education and Research is in Tartu, with a representative office in Tallinn. Mari Annus, head of communications for the ministry, explained that 155 people work in Tartu and 128 in Tallinn, while 13 have permanent work locations elsewhere.

"Our work arrangements are flexible, and whether tasks are performed from home, in the Tartu office or the Tallinn office depends primarily on the nature of the work and agreements within the department," she noted. "Sometimes tasks requiring focused concentration can be more effectively performed from home, while activities requiring collaborative teamwork may be better conducted in person."

Given that some of the education ministry's teams are split between Tartu and Tallinn, Annus pointed out that meetings often involve remote participation through Teams or other applications.

"The proportion of remote work remains stable and is influenced by these factors," Annus stated. "Remote work is also regulated by the ministry's internal guidelines, with details arranged between each staff member and their supervisor."

The Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture also utilizes remote work, but according to HR manager Heili Kärgi, it depends significantly on the nature of the job and departmental arrangements.

"Remote work cannot always be offered to everyone," Kärgi remarked. "There can be positive impacts on efficiency, especially for tasks that require deep focus, which may be easier to accomplish at home."

Kärgi confirmed that the ministry has not considered limiting remote work.

Most Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees working from the office

The number of employees at the Ministry of Defense is not public information, but according to spokesperson Andra Nõlvak, all staff members have a designated workspace, which is always occupied.

"In general, work is conducted within the ministry, but some tasks require completion outside the office, so the option for remote work must be preserved. We do not keep statistics, as our focus is on work outcomes," Nõlvak added.

As of the end of October, the Ministry of Climate employed 299 people, with 200 working from the shared building and the rest either from home offices or in hybrid arrangements.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a total of 676 employees, including those at foreign missions. According to media adviser Liisa Toots, all staff members have work equipment and a designated desk, either at the main office in Tallinn or one of the foreign missions, except for a small number whose jobs do not involve desk work.

"Remote work is allowed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when tasks permit. Depending on the role, the extent of remote work varies, but due to the nature of the ministry's work, most employees spend the majority of their time in the office," Toots said.

According to Postimees, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications (MKM) has approximately 200 employees assigned to 133 desks, with an average of around 100 people present in the office at any given time, and even fewer on Fridays.

The Ministry of Justice also increasingly utilizes hybrid work arrangements. However, remote work must be coordinated with a supervisor and both remote work arrangements and all daily meetings must be recorded in the Outlook calendar.

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