Teleworking

In 2015 in the EU, around one-fifth of workers did some form of telework from home or engaged in ICT-based mobile work, meaning they work, either occasionally or regularly, from somewhere other than a main place of work, heavily depending on mobile devices. COVID-19 has increased this figure. 

Drawing on previous research, as well as data from Eurofound’s European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), Eurofound analysis on telework and ICT-based mobile (TICTM) work looks at how flexibility of working time and worker autonomy impacts on employment and working conditions in this digital age, focusing on how it affects work–life balance, health, performance and job prospects.  

• Publication: Telework and ICT-based mobile work: Flexible working in the digital age
• Publication: Labour market change: Trends and policy approaches towards flexibilisation

Joint research by Eurofound and the International Labour Organization (ILO) examined the impact of telework and ICT-based mobile work at various locations (home, office or another location) on work–life balance, also drawing on EWCS data. ICT-based mobile work is also one of several new forms of employment on the rise in the EU being studied by Eurofound. 

• Publication: Working anytime, anywhere: The effects on the world of work

Teleworking and COVID-19

Eurofound's unique e-survey, Living, working and COVID-19, provides a snapshot of the impact of the changes that occurred during the pandemic on people's lives, with the aim of helping policymakers shape the response to this crisis. Two rounds of the survey have been completed to date, allowing for comparison between the first round in April, when most Member States were in lockdown, and the second round in July, when society and economies were slowly reopening. A range of questions focus on people's work situation, their use of teleworking during COVID-19 and the impact on work–life balance. 

• Publication: Living, working and COVID-19  
• Data: Working during COVID-19
• Working paper: Teleworkability and the COVID-19 crisis: a new digital divide? 
• Blog: COVID-19 unleashed the potential for telework – How are workers coping?
• News: COVID-19 could permanently change teleworking in Europe

The research shows:

• Teleworking has taken off in all EU countries with over a third of those in employment starting to work remotely at the outset of the pandemic, many with limited or no previous experience of working in this way. In July, nearly half of respondents teleworked at least some of the time and a third worked exclusively from home.
• Over three-quarters of EU employees in July want to continue working from home at least occasionally, even without COVID-19 restrictions. Most EU workers report a positive experience teleworking during the pandemic but very few wish to telework all the time, with the preferred option being a mix of teleworking and presence at the workplace.
• The rise in telework during the pandemic has highlighted the blurring of lines between work and private life. It will be critical for governments and social partners to introduce ‘right to disconnect’ initiatives in order to prevent large segments of workers becoming at risk of physical and emotional exhaustion.
• If teleworking is to continue across the EU, social partners must seek to include provisions for workers on the voluntary nature of telework or the suitability of specific tasks to teleworking in any legal frameworks or agreements. Clarification about how employers can contribute to expenses linked to working from home, as well as guarantees of equal pay and access to training for those working remotely will also be critical. 
• Women also continue to face a disproportionate impact and remain less optimistic about their future than men – this gap widening further between April and July. The pandemic has also affected the work–life balance of women more than men, particularly with women impacted more in terms of reduced working hours and young women more likely to lose their job than men. In particular, the burden of care responsibilities increased during the pandemic for women. 

But the challenges go beyond work–life balance: the blurring of boundaries, constant connectivity and long working hours can represent a problem for the mental and physical well-being of workers. For this reason, more and more countries are contemplating measures related to the right to disconnect. 

The full impact of the pandemic remains to be seen, but COVID-19 could permanently change teleworking and ICT-based mobile work in the EU and beyond. 

• Forthcoming publication: COVID-19: Some implications for employment and working life