In January 2021, the European Parliament adopted a resolution with recommendations to the Commission on the right to disconnect. The resolution called on the Commission to present a legislative proposal on the right to disconnect, as well as an EU legislative framework for telework. Specifically, the resolution highlighted the fundamental role of social partners in identifying and implementing measures addressing the challenges of digitalisation, telework and the right to disconnect.

In light of this policy background, in 2022, the European Commission commissioned this study, as one of the follow-up actions to the European Parliament’s resolution. The objective of the study is to gather evidence and to better understand the challenges, opportunities and trends in relation to the flexibility of working time and work location, with a focus on telework and the right to disconnect.