The Great Office Debate: How Europe is Embracing a New Way of Working Towards 2025
As we get closer to 2025, big changes are happening in workplaces across Europe. Employers want people to come back to the office (RTO), but many workers prefer flexible working, like working from home. This debate is heating up, and the numbers show one clear thing: the way we work is changing quickly.
The Current Situation: Employers vs. Employees
Across Europe, more companies are asking their staff to return to the office, but many employees are pushing back. Around 98% of people working remotely say they want to keep working from home at least part of the time for the rest of their careers. Also, about 25% of European employees say they prefer a mix, working from home two to four days a week.
Productivity: Mixed Results
Employers think that being in the office makes people more productive, but the facts aren’t so clear. A study from Stanford University found that productivity dropped by 10% for people working fully remote, often because of less communication and mentorship. Similarly, a report from Eurofound shows that in Europe, productivity problems can also come from fewer chances to talk informally or get guidance in remote settings. On the flip side, some research shows remote workers can save up to 62 hours that they would lose to distractions in an office. Even the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco says there's still not enough proof to say for sure if remote work helps or hurts productivity. A Eurofound report agrees that we need more information in Europe to fully understand how remote work impacts productivity in different jobs.
Economic Pressures and the Job Market
With economic challenges ahead, companies might feel they should push harder for RTO policies. But this could be a risky choice—42% of European job seekers would turn down a job if it didn't offer hybrid or fully remote options. Interestingly, only 4% of global CEOs want all workers back full-time, which shows that some companies pushing for RTO might not align with wider leadership trends. In Europe, a survey by the European Management Association found that most CEOs are supporting flexible work, with just 10% wanting a full return to the office.
Legal Challenges and Employee Well-being
RTO mandates are also facing legal challenges, especially from employees who need to care for family or have disabilities. This isn’t surprising since 91% of remote workers say they’ve had a good experience working from home. But there’s also a downside: about 1 in 3 remote workers say that staying home too much is tough, which shows the need for a balanced approach.
The Generational Divide
Younger workers, especially Gen Z and Millennials, are not interested in going back to the office full-time. In fact, 77% of Gen Z workers and 75% of Millennials said they would look for a new job if they were forced to return to the office full-time. This adds even more complexity to the debate around office vs. remote work.
Looking Ahead to 2025: A New Way of Working
By 2025, Europe could see big changes in how people work. Between 2019 and 2021, the number of people working from home in the EU went from 14.6% to 24.4%. In early 2023, around 22% of European workers were fully remote, while 17% used a hybrid model.
Leading Examples in Europe
Some European countries are leading the way when it comes to flexible work. Countries like Sweden (79.4%), Finland (78.5%), and Denmark (78.0%) are ahead in adopting online meetings, showing that remote work is here to stay. Additionally, the Netherlands and Germany are also seeing growth in remote work, with about 70% of Dutch companies using flexible work policies, and Germany reporting a 65% increase in hybrid work. These countries are showing the rest of Europe how to embrace the future of work.
Balancing Productivity and Flexibility
Looking forward, it's clear that businesses need to strike a balance. About 60% of workers feel that their work-from-home preferences match what their employers want, but 30% say they want more flexibility than they think they will get. Companies that can adjust to these changing needs will be in a better position to attract and keep talented workers in the competitive job market.
The Road Ahead
The decisions being made today will shape the workplace of 2025 and beyond. Businesses across Europe need to accommodate different working styles, understand generational needs, and stay flexible to avoid losing top talent. Recent findings from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) show that companies that support flexible work are more likely to keep their workers and improve overall satisfaction. Using insights from European labour studies can give the needed information to shape better workplace policies. The future of work in Europe will probably be hybrid, needing new policies that can work for many different job roles.
How Mesogio Can Help
At Mesogio, we understand that navigating the new workplace requires insight, flexibility, and clear communication.
We help businesses create messages that resonate with employees across generations and clearly explain organisational changes.
Whether it’s building campaigns around hybrid work policies or telling the stories behind your data, Mesogio has the expertise to keep your workforce engaged and help your business lead in this new workplace revolution.
Sources
Eurofound - "Impact of Remote Work on Productivity in Europe". Available at: https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/
European Management Association Survey - "CEO Perspectives on Return to Office Policies in Europe". Available at: https://www.europeanmanagement.org/
Remote Work in Europe: Statistics and Trends - "Wifitalents.com". Available at: https://wifitalents.com/statistic/remote-work-in-europe/
Remote Work Facts & Stats - "The Sustainable Agency". Available at: https://thesustainableagency.com/blog/remote-work-facts-and-stats/
Home is the New Office: Remote Work Trends - "NordLayer". Available at: https://nordlayer.com/blog/home-is-the-new-office-remote-work-trends/
Remote Work Statistics: Key Facts - "Notta". Available at: https://www.notta.ai/en/blog/remote-work-statistics
The Evolution of Remote Work in Europe - "Decision Magazine". Available at: https://thedecisionmagazine.com/business/lessons/the-evolution-of-remote-work-in-europe/
Remote Work in the European Context - "Integrin.dk". Available at: https://www.integrin.dk/2024/05/03/remote-work-in-the-european-context-following-modern-challenges/
