Hybrid work: These are Europe's most and least flexible countries

Fully remote work might be past its prime.

Companies like JPMorgan, Amazon, and Goldman Sachs recently ordered thousands of employees to return to the office five days a week, citing reasons like productivity and work culture.

At the same time, and despite a 1% decline last year, hybrid work remains the most common arrangement (44%) among EU employees in roles that can also be performed remotely.

Workplace-only roles trail at 41%, reflecting a 5% growth over the last year, according to Eurofound's latest Living and Working in the EU.

Fully remote positions across the bloc are in steady decline, dropping sharply from 24% to 14% between 2022 and 2024.

The Netherlands and Ireland are homeworking paradises

The EU picture on remote work is extremely fragmented and uneven.

In countries like the Netherlands, Ireland, Finland, and Germany, most workers are allowed to work from home fully or partially, with rates close to or over 70%.

On the other hand, Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Portugal, and Italy are some of the least flexible countries, and the majority of people never work from home.

The UK wasn't included in the Eurofound survey, however, a government poll carried out between December 2024 and January 2025 found that 41% of adults work from home, at least sometimes.

The data refers to all types of workers, not just those able to work also from home.

The highest percentage of British homeworkers is in the 30-49 age range (56%), while the lowest share was reported among 70+ (14%).

Men and women reported similar percentages: 42% for men vs 40% for women.

Men more likely to work form home than women

Similarly, in nearly all EU countries, men are more likely to work partially or fully from home compared to women.

Cyprus has the lowest rate for both men and women (25% and 22%).

The Netherlands showed the highest rate for both men and women (83% and 72% respectively).

Majority of employees for keeping homeworking option

Asked about their preferences, the overwhelming majority (74%) of EU workers prefer to work remotely at least several times a month.

More in detail, the plurality (31%) would like to work from home several times a week, 24% daily, and 18% say they would never want to work remotely.

However, the research states that "the desire to work exclusively from home has increased since the pandemic, rising from 13% in 2020 to 24% in 2024."