Remote work: mandatory in Europe?

The European debate around remote work has gained new relevance after the European Commission considered including one mandatory remote work day per week in its list of measures to respond to the energy crisis. The idea, aimed at reducing commuting and fuel consumption, was later withdrawn from the final package amid doubts about its compulsory nature and legal feasibility. Even so, the debate has opened an important question: can remote work help save energy while also ensuring fair and inclusive working conditions?

This question connects directly with the research carried out within the REMAKING project, which analyses how remote work is reshaping territories, labour markets and everyday life. For REMAKING researchers, remote work cannot be understood only as an energy-saving measure. It must also be analysed through its social, territorial and economic impacts.

Anna Oechslen, from the Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space, underlines that a remote work day could benefit some workers, especially those with good conditions at home. “People who have a good infrastructure for remote work, for example, a good workplace at home, could benefit from that,” she explains.

However, she also warns that not all workers are in the same situation. “There are people living in cramped conditions and just not having the space to really work at home and do focused and good work,” she says. For Oechslen, this is a key point that must be considered in any remote work policy. “If we are thinking about saving energy costs, we also need to look at those different living contexts.”

She also points to the risk of shifting costs from employers to workers. Working from home may reduce commuting, but it can increase household energy costs. “If we are making people work from home, it also means that the energy costs lie with them and they will have to deal with it,” she notes.

Dimitris Manoukas from Politecnico Di Milano sees the potential of a European-level initiative, particularly because many workers still do not have access to remote work due to employer restrictionbe the fully remote working arrangement that we got to know during Covid, but I think hybrid will be the way.”

For Giulio Buciuni from Trinity College Dublin, remote work may help reduce transport costs, but it must be understood holistically. “Certainly we are saving money on transportation, but we’re spending more money at home,” he explains.

For REMAKING, the debate around remote work and energy savings is therefore not only about where people work. It is also about how Europe can design fair, inclusive and sustainable labour policies for a changing world of work.s. “Implementation of a mandatory remote work day on a European level would be truly impactful, because it would give the chance to both employees and employers to experience the challenges and the possible effects of remote working,” he says.