According to a recent survey by Eurofound, the European picture on remote work remains fragmented.
In nations such as The Netherlands, Ireland and Germany, most employee are allowed to work from home completely or partially, with rates close to or over 70%.
However, countries such as Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Portugal, and Italy are some of the least flexible countries, with the majority not allowed to work from home.
The EU as a whole has a multi-pronged approach to remote work, with this including agreements like the 2023 Framework Agreement for social security that allows limited teleworking in other countries while maintaining employer-country coverage, and country-specific initiatives such as Estonia’s Digital Nomad Visa.
The European agreement, for instance, allows employees to work remotely in another member country for up to 49.9% of their time while still being covered by the social security system of their employer’s country. It is worth noting that the UK and Denmark initially declined to sign the social security agreement.
Spain is one nation moving towards to remote-work side, with 1 in 5 job ads in the country now offer remote or hybrid working, putting it well ahead of the UK and France.
The increase in these opportunities can be attributed to the spike in international employees flocking to Spain since the country introduced its Digital Nomad visa. For the second year in a row, Spain came in at the top of the list of the most popular locations for digital nomads.
Companies willing to embrace the future of remote work can tap into the sizeable community of remote workers and digital nomads looking for employment opportunities. And while Spain may top the list, the labor pool stretches across much of Europe.
While the idea of hiring a fully remote employee in another country may jar with some companies and recruiters, some leaders have found great results from the approach.
When it comes to remote work, Rajat Mishra, CEO of technology enterprises Prezent, recommended that: “You don’t need to walk the halls to measure performance, trust, or loyalty. You need clear expectations, consistent communication, and the right signals. Responsiveness, proactivity, and accountability matter more than ever in a remote environment.”
Further, according to Mishra: “Remote work is a privilege, not a right, and great remote workers treat it that way. They over-communicate, stay in sync, and lean into collaboration. Smart leaders stop measuring hours in seats and start measuring outcomes, behaviors, and culture contributions.”
“Performance looks like delivering more than expected. And trust? That’s earned over time—through consistency, not proximity”, added the CEO.
