Teleworkers in the EU work more than three times as often in their free time compared to office employees.
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In 2024, 32% of employees who worked at least sometimes from home engaged in professional activities during their free time several times a month, compared to 9% of those who worked exclusively at the employer's premises. The difference remains significant, although the proportion of teleworkers in this situation has decreased from 58% in 2015.
Employees in the European Union who work at least sometimes from home continue to work in their free time much more frequently than those who carry out their activities exclusively at the employer's premises. Eurofound data for 2024 shows that 32% of teleworkers worked in their free time several times a month, compared to 9% of on-site employees, although the situation has improved considerably compared to 2015.
In short
In 2024, 32% of employees who teleworked at least occasionally engaged in professional activities during their free time several times a month. The proportion was 9% among those who worked only at the employer's premises.
The situation of teleworkers has improved significantly over the past decade. The proportion of those who worked in their free time several times a month decreased from 58% in 2015 to 32% in 2024.
Hybrid workers and those who telework occasionally are more exposed to being contacted outside of working hours than employees who work exclusively on-site or completely from home.
Eurofound finds that flexibility and autonomy can improve the work-life balance, but the high workload, being contacted outside of working hours, and the culture of constant availability reduce the quality of working time.
In 2024, 13 member states had national provisions regarding the right to disconnect. Eurofound believes that protections against being contacted outside of working hours should cover all workers, not just teleworkers.
Eurofound defines working in free time as engaging in professional activities outside of normal working hours, several times a month or more frequently. This can include responding to messages, completing tasks, attending meetings, or continuing work after the formal end of the day.
Across the EU workforce, 16% of employees reported in 2024 that they work in their free time several times a month. However, the differences are still significant depending on the organization of work.
Among those with flexible start and end times, the proportion reaches 26%, compared to 12% for employees with fixed schedules. For teleworkers, the level is even higher: 32%, compared to 9% for those who work only at the employer's premises.
Teleworkers include employees who work entirely from home, those in a regular hybrid arrangement, and those who work remotely only occasionally. The 32% category encompasses all of them and does not mean that each type of telework produces the same result.
Data on being contacted outside of working hours shows that hybrid workers and those who telework occasionally are the most exposed. Approximately 34% of hybrid workers and 28% of occasional teleworkers were contacted outside of working hours at least several times in the month prior to the survey.
The proportion is 17% for employees who work exclusively at the employer's premises. This category is also not completely protected from requests received after hours, indicating that constant availability is not an issue limited to telework.
Among those who work entirely from home, 53% reported that they were never contacted outside of working hours in the month analyzed. The proportion is close to the 52% recorded for employees who work only from the premises.
The difference compared to hybrid workers may be related to the organization of work, types of positions, and the relationship between days spent on-site and those worked remotely. The report does not establish a single cause for these variations.
Eurofound shows that the situation has improved significantly since 2015. In that year, 58% of teleworkers reported that they engaged in professional activities during their free time several times a month. By 2024, the proportion had dropped to 32%, a reduction of 26 percentage points.
For employees who work only on-site, the level has remained relatively stable. Teleworkers continue to be more exposed to working in their free time, but the difference compared to on-site employees has decreased.
Improvements are also seen in the length of the working week. The proportion of teleworkers with full-time hours exceeding 48 hours per week decreased from 22% in 2015 to 11% in 2024.
During the same period, the proportion of teleworkers working between 35 and 40 hours per week increased from 48% to 69%. For employees who worked exclusively on-site, the proportion of those exceeding 48 hours remained at 7%.
Rest periods have also improved. In 2015, 34% of teleworkers reported that they did not always benefit from at least 11 hours of rest between two working days. The proportion decreased to 22% in 2024.
The level remains higher than for on-site employees, where 16% did not benefit from sufficient rest in 2024. However, the difference has decreased compared to 2015.
Eurofound warns that schedule flexibility is not identical to employee autonomy. A schedule can vary depending on the company's needs, without the worker deciding when to start or end their activity.
In 2024, 34% of employees with flexible start and end times had their schedule fully set by the company, without the possibility of modifying it. Only 14% completely determined their working hours themselves, while 44% could adapt them within certain limits.
Hybrid workers more often benefit from autonomy. About three out of four have some control over their schedule, and half can adapt their hours within certain limits.
Autonomy can support the work-life balance, as it allows for the organization of professional activities around family or personal responsibilities. However, it can also produce a contrary effect when combined with a high workload and the expectation that the employee remains available.
The report describes this situation as the paradox of autonomy. Individuals with more control over their schedule may end up working more, accepting additional tasks, and extending their activities into their free time.
Eurofound's analysis estimates that employees working from home engage in approximately one additional hour of work per week compared to those who work only on-site, after accounting for factors such as country, sector, occupation, and gender.
Flexible schedules are also associated with longer weeks. In 2024, 17% of employees with flexible start and end times worked over 48 hours per week, compared to 6% of those with fixed schedules.
Employees with flexible schedules also have fewer adequate rest periods. Approximately 30% reported that they do not always benefit from the 11 consecutive hours between two working days, compared to 13% of fixed-schedule workers.
Eurofound finds that workload plays a central role. Employees who do not have enough time to complete their tasks are more likely to be contacted after hours, work in their free time, exceed 48 hours per week, and not benefit from sufficient rest.
Only about a quarter of employees with flexible schedules reported that they always have enough time to complete their tasks, compared to a third of those with fixed schedules.
Among teleworkers, 70% said they always or most of the time have enough hours to finish their work. The proportion is 75% for employees who work exclusively on-site.
Being contacted outside of working hours has one of the strongest links to stress, mental pressure, and deterioration of the work-life balance. Digital tools allow for the continuation of activities from almost anywhere, but they can eliminate the boundaries that previously marked the end of the working day.
The report shows that digital monitoring can help record hours worked, but it becomes problematic when it is intrusive. Intense surveillance can reduce autonomy and increase employee stress.
At the national level, the right to disconnect existed in 13 member states in 2025. These were Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
Protection varies between countries. In some states, it applies to all employees, while in others only to teleworkers. Some legislations formulate an explicit right not to respond, while others establish the employer's obligation to avoid contacting during rest periods.
Eurofound indicates France as one of the countries where employees are least frequently contacted outside of working hours, after several years of implementing disconnection rules. The report believes that these policies can reduce the pressure of constant availability.
Protection should not be limited to those working from home. A significant proportion of on-site employees also receive requests outside of working hours, and additional work can occur regardless of where the main activity is carried out.
The Eurofound report is based on the European Working Conditions Survey from 2015 and 2024, data from the European Labour Force Survey, national research, and contributions from the agency's correspondents in member states.
At least one in five employees in the EU currently uses some form of telework. In 2024, 16% worked from home occasionally, 9% in a regular hybrid arrangement, and 3% entirely from home, according to the classification used by Eurofound.
Telework is much more widespread in northern and western Europe than in southern and eastern parts of the Union. The differences between countries reflect the structure of the economy, digitalization, types of occupations, organizational culture, and national rules.
The report does not conclude that telework automatically leads to longer hours or deterioration of health. The effects depend on autonomy, workload, company culture, monitoring, professional role, and adherence to boundaries between work and rest.
Eurofound recommends measures to limit frequent contact outside of working hours, improve the enforcement of working time rules, and allow employee autonomy within a framework that prevents excessive hours and unpredictable schedules.
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