Telework is well established, also due to the pandemic. In 2021, 2 out of 10 European employees were teleworking (a figure that would probably have reached in 2027 without the pandemic). According to report findings, 41.7 million employees teleworked across the EU in 2021, confirming the doubling of employees teleworking since 2019.

The prevalence of telework is not necessarily influenced by gender, even though slightly more women telework than men.

The health crisis showed the social and technological potential for flexibility in terms of working time and place. Telework affects overall work organisation and working conditions, as well as employees’ work–life balance and well-being, allowing them to balance their working time around their private and family life. Workers also experienced less commuting time and greater work autonomy and flexibility without any negative impact on productivity in the workplace.

On the other side, reduced social interaction and increased overtime work have become more evident.

The rise in telework took place primarily in better-paid, higher-level occupations, further exacerbating the inequalities, especially in the wage and employment gap between high- and low-skilled workers. In this regard, policymakers have an essential role to play in ensuring a level playing field between those who can telework and those who cannot and regulatory frameworks in EU Member States should be adapted to ensure they address main issues such as the right to request telework, right to disconnect, geographical location of teleworking, teleworking costs coverage and psychosocial risks.

Nine EU Member States have adopted new regulations on telework during the pandemic, while few countries have negotiated national-level collective agreements that update previous texts on the issue.

In most of the countries with new provisions, social dialogue has played a fundamental role, as the future of work depends on practices, regulations and values shaped by workers, employers, policymakers and society in general. It confirms the critical role of social dialogue in implementing regulations that create positive outcomes for both employers and workers.

We already reported on the EU initiative on telework here.