Digitalisation
Digitalisation is the ongoing integration of digital technologies and digitised data across the economy and society. The twin green and digital transitions accelerate the pace of change affecting all aspects of our lives and will have many consequences for the future of work. Innovations and developments in advanced technologies are having significant effects in almost all areas of the economy and for society at large. Work, its content, its organisation and design, its regulation and protection, are all undergoing change. The continuous automation and digitalisation of services, and the growing introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, continues to change the nature of work, skills needs, and how tasks are allocated, performed and assessed. This also often brings a blurring of boundaries between work and non-work activity.
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IT sector in focus: Evolution of the EU’s digital workforce
The ICT sector is driving digitalisation and AI adoption across Europe, yet skilled labour shortages are holding back its growth. This report examines employment and working conditions for ICT specialists and the challenges shaping one of the EU's most critical sectors.AI, algorithmic management and the transformation of society, work, and employment – exploring the concepts
Building on Eurofound’s established conceptual framework of the digital age, this concept paper examines how the unfolding artificial intelligence wave is set to transform not only the world of work and employment, but also the wider fabric of society, from the delivery and quality of public services to the production, dissemination and governance of information. The analysis is guided by four vectors of change – automation, augmentation, digitisation and platformisation – identified as the central drivers shaping this transformation. The concepts presented in this paper will inform Eurofound’s future research on artificial intelligence and algorithmic management.Algorithmic management in European workplaces: Implications for work organisation and working conditions
This study presents a secondary analysis of data from Eurofound’s Seventh European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS 2024) that explores the prevalence of digital technologies in modern workplaces and the spread of algorithmic management practices. By linking workers’ reported exposure to computer programmes that monitor performance, allocate tasks, and schedule work with indicators of job quality, the analysis assesses how technology reshapes work. It also identifies distinct worker profiles based on patterns of digital technology use and the characteristics associated with each profile. The findings will inform policymaking aimed at promoting high-quality jobs in increasingly digital workplaces.Eurofound research explores the impact of digitalisation on working life, as well as the links with the transition to a climate-neutral economy. This covers employment levels, working conditions, social protection and employment relations. In the context of restructuring and digitalisation, analysing the role of industrial relations and social dialogue in implementing change is also important, as is the impact on society and citizens.
The research provides evidence on structural changes, driven largely by these megatrends, but also recent crises, that can inform policy in ensuring just transitions which promote employment, good working conditions, social protection and workers’ rights, while also improving labour productivity, competitiveness and prosperity.
Responding to the way digital technology is changing the lives of EU citizens, a priority for the European Commission is to create a Europe fit for the digital age, leading the transition to a healthy planet and a new digital world through its Digital Decade programme.
As part of its Digital Services Act package, published on 15 December 2020, the Commission proposed two legislative initiatives to upgrade rules governing digital services in the EU: the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). These initiatives aim to create a safer digital space and protect the users of digital services, while also establishing a level playing field for companies to foster innovation, growth and competitiveness.
On 9 March 2021, the Commission issued its Communication setting out the vision for Europe’s digital decade, outlining a clear compass towards a successful digital transformation by 2030 in areas such as connectivity, skills and digital public services.
In December 2023, the European Parliament and Council reached agreement on the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), which marks a significant step towards regulating AI in the EU. The AI Act entered into force on 1 August 2024. This is the first-ever comprehensive regulation on AI worldwide with a staggered implementation process to ensure a smooth transition for businesses and institutions. Among the high-risk AI systems identified under the Act are those used in recruitment and work management, which are particularly relevant to Eurofound's research.
In response to the rapid development of platform work in the EU, the Commission put forward a proposal to protect people working through digital platforms. In April 2024, the Parliament adopted the platform work directive, which aims to improve working conditions and regulate the use of algorithms by digital labour platforms.
In April 2025, the Commission launched a new AI Strategy, with an AI Continent Action Plan. The plan aims to boost Europe’s competitiveness as a leader in AI. Relevant for Eurofound’s work are the pillars focused on AI skills and talents and on the use of algorithms.
European Commission: Digital Decadeopens in new tab
European Commission: European Skills Agendaopens in new tab
European Commission: The Digital Services Act packageopens in new tab
European Commission: AI Actopens in new tab and The AI Continent Action Planopens in new tab
European Commission: Union of Skillsopens in new tab
European Parliament: Parliament adopts Platform Work Directiveopens in new tab
EUR-Lex: 2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decadeopens in new tab
In 2020, the European social partners approved an autonomous framework agreement on digitalisation.
This is a selection of the most important outputs for this topic.
22 May 2026
EU-wide digitalisation survey for the social economy
21 July 2024
Human–robot interaction: What changes in the workplace?
12 September 2023
Ethical digitalisation at work: From theory to practice
Automation and digitisation technologies, including artificial intelligence, are rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly powerful and pervasive. The full range of their effects in the workplace is yet to be seen. It is, however, important not only to explore the ethical implications of digital technologies and the effects of such technologies on working conditions as they emerge, but also to anticipate any unintended effects that raise new ethical challenges. Using a variety of research methods and building on previous research on the digital workplace, this report examines the many ramifications of digital technologies in the workplace, looking at the fundamental rights and ethical principles most at stake and the areas of working conditions most likely to be affected.
8 December 2022
The rise in telework: Impact on working conditions and regulations
This report presents Eurofound’s research on telework during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. It explores changes in the incidence of telework, working conditions experienced by employees working from home and changes to regulations addressing issues related to this working arrangement. The findings reveal a rapid escalation of telework triggered by the pandemic: in 2021, 2 out of 10 European employees were teleworking – a figure that most likely would not have been reached before 2027 had the pandemic not occurred. The health crisis unleashed the social and technological potential for flexibility in terms of working time and place. The impacts of telework on working conditions were initially difficult to determine because it was difficult to disentangle them from pandemic-induced factors, such as lockdowns and school closures. However, both the positive impacts, such as the contribution of telework to improving work–life balance, and the negative impacts, such as reduced social interaction and an increase in overtime worked, have become more evident. The rise in telework and an awareness of its implications for working conditions have prompted a renewed focus on regulatory frameworks, with new telework regulations passed in several EU Member States.
25 September 2022
Going digital: Restructuring trends in retail banking
The retail banking sector is fertile ground for studying the impacts of digitalisation on work and employment. Financial services are increasingly provided online, without the intermediary of customer-facing institutions. Many banks in the sector have been undergoing serial restructuring since the global financial crisis, and it is one of the few service sectors with stagnant or declining employment. In addition to the technological changes in how services are provided, the sector is also responding to other challenges, including an increased regulatory and compliance burden, competition from fintech, and low interest rates and reduced profitability. The case studies in this report describe examples of recent restructuring in the sector, what motivated the restructuring, how it was managed and how it affected employment, work organisation, and other business and employee outcomes.
30 May 2022
Ethics in the digital workplace
Digitisation and automation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can affect working conditions in a variety of ways and their use in the workplace raises a host of new ethical concerns. Recently, the policy debate surrounding these concerns has become more prominent and has increasingly focused on AI. This report maps relevant European and national policy and regulatory initiatives. It explores the positions and views of social partners in the policy debate on the implications of technological change for work and employment. It also reviews a growing body of research on the topic showing that ethical implications go well beyond legal and compliance questions, extending to issues relating to quality of work. The report aims to provide a good understanding of the ethical implications of digitisation and automation, which is grounded in evidence-based research.
24 October 2021
Digitisation in the workplace
Research into the transformative potential of the digital revolution tends to take a quantitative approach in an attempt to monitor changes in employment levels due to digitalisation. The fear of potential job losses and negative disruption brought about by digital technologies has permeated the policy debate on digitalisation. In contrast, this report, based on case study research, takes a more qualitative approach to exploring the impact of selected digital technologies (internet of things, 3D printing, and virtual and augmented reality) in the workplace. While digital technologies can bring many opportunities and have been shown to be beneficial for both workers and organisations, there is a need to put safeguards in place to ensure employee data protection and privacy. A well-functioning social dialogue is also key to reaping the benefits of digital technologies and preventing – or minimising – any negative outcomes.
9 September 2021
Right to disconnect: Exploring company practices
Digital technologies have made it possible for many workers to carry out their work at any time and anywhere, with consequent advantages and disadvantages. Eurofound data show that teleworkers are twice as likely to exceed the 48-hour working time limit, take insufficient rest and work in their free time, with knock-on effects on their physical and mental health. To address this issue, there have been calls for the ‘right to disconnect’. This report is based on case studies that chart the implementation and impact of the right to disconnect at workplace level. It builds on previous Eurofound research that shows an increase in collective agreements providing for a right to disconnect in countries that have enshrined this right in their legislation. With the exponential growth in teleworking brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of striking a better balance between the opportunities and the challenges associated with teleworking and ICT-based flexible working has become more relevant than ever before.
9 December 2020
Employee monitoring and surveillance: The challenges of digitalisation
New digital technologies have expanded the possibilities of employee monitoring and surveillance, both in and outside the workplace. In the context of the increasing digitalisation of work, there are many issues related to employee monitoring that warrant the attention of policymakers. As well as the often-cited privacy and ethical concerns, there are also important implications for worker–employer relations, as digitally enabled monitoring and surveillance inevitably shift power dynamics in the workplace. Based on input from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents, this report explores the regulatory approaches to workplace monitoring in Europe, and the many challenges arising from the use of new digital technologies. Drawing from empirical and qualitative research, the report also provides some insight into the extent of employee monitoring in Europe and the implications for job quality and work organisation.
Researchers at Eurofound provide expert insights and can be contacted for questions or media requests.
Dragoș Adăscăliței
Research officerDragoș Adăscăliței is a research officer in the Employment unit at Eurofound. His current research focuses on topics related to the future of work, including the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs, the consequences of automation for employment and regulatory issues surrounding platform work. He is also a regular contributor to comparative projects monitoring structural changes in European labour markets. Prior to joining Eurofound, he was a lecturer in Employment Relations at the University of Sheffield, Management School. He holds an MA in Political Science from Central European University and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Mannheim.
Sara Riso
Senior research managerSara Riso joined Eurofound in 2006 and is currently a senior research manager in the Working Life unit. She is engaged in research projects focusing on digitalisation and working conditions. Before joining Eurofound, Sara managed research projects for large Brussels-based European associations and networks. Her academic background is in psychology, communication and languages. Her main research interest lies in exploring new workplace stressors arising from increased digitalisation of work, evolving organisational practices, and change management strategies to address the challenges posed by digitalisation in modern working environments.
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