Nearly three in 10 employees in Ireland worked from home at least some of the time in 2024, placing the country well above the European Union average, according to new research from EU agency Eurofound.
The study found that 29 percent of employees in Ireland engaged in remote working during 2024, compared with an EU average of 20 percent. Ireland also recorded a 20 percentage point increase in the share of workers working remotely between 2015 and 2024.
Luxembourg had the highest proportion of remote workers in the EU at 41 percent, followed by the Netherlands and Sweden. At the other end of the scale, only 4 percent of employees in Romania worked remotely in 2024, while the figure stood at 6 percent in Italy.
The research is based on findings from Eurofound’s European Working Conditions Survey 2024 and examines how the Covid-19 pandemic changed working arrangements across Europe.
Eurofound said the pandemic had a lasting effect on remote working and the wider organisation of work. Flexible working arrangements have generally helped improve working-time quality and work-life balance, but employees working away from the office continue to face several challenges.
The agency found that remote workers are more likely to experience irregular working schedules, heavy workloads and expectations to remain available outside normal working hours.
High-skilled employees often work longer hours despite having greater control over how and when they work. Lower-skilled workers, meanwhile, can experience more fragmented working schedules with less control over their working time.
Eurofound identified frequent contact from employers or colleagues outside normal working hours as one of the strongest contributors to workplace stress and mental strain.
The findings suggest that the advantages of remote working can come with significant risks when employers fail to establish clear boundaries around working hours and availability.
The agency has called for targeted policies across the EU to protect employee well-being while allowing businesses and workers to retain the benefits of flexible arrangements.
Ireland’s relatively high level of remote working reflects the country’s strong presence of professional, technology and other highly skilled employment sectors where working away from traditional offices is more practical.
Remote and hybrid work have remained an important feature of European employment since the pandemic, with employers increasingly combining office-based work with home working.
Eurofound, which is based in Dublin, provides research and advice on working conditions, industrial relations and developments in European labour markets. Its latest findings highlight the need to ensure that growing flexibility does not result in longer working hours, constant connectivity and higher levels of stress for employees.
