It is a familiar scene: the phone buzzes at 22:00, and the message is from a colleague. Across Europe, the boundary between the working day and personal time is becoming increasingly porous. A growing reliance on remote work, combined with persistent economic uncertainty and job insecurity, has made it harder for millions to switch off.
According to a Eurofound study published in June, roughly one in five EU workers say they are contacted for work-related reasons outside their normal hours many times each month. This constant connectivity is not just an inconvenience; it is a significant driver of stress and a key component of the so-called always-on culture.
The stress of being always available
The Eurofound research, which surveyed workers across the EU, found that about 59% of respondents said they always or almost always experienced stress at work. The frequency of out-of-hours contact was directly linked to higher stress levels. Among those who were never contacted outside working hours, only 17% reported feeling stressed. In contrast, workers who were regularly contacted were far more likely to report strain.
The pattern extends beyond the EU. In the UK, the Always-On Workforce Report 2026 from CV company MyPerfectCV found that more than half of British employees work beyond their contracted hours every day. A separate analysis by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) of the UK Labour Force Survey estimated that around 3.5 million British workers—one in eight—regularly worked unpaid overtime last year, contributing an estimated £28.5 billion (€33.3 billion) in unpaid labour.
Heavy workloads are the primary driver of out-of-hours contact, according to Eurofound. Remote workers, in particular, struggle to maintain boundaries. They are more exposed to overtime, irregular schedules, and the expectation of constant availability. The survey noted: “Among employees with flexible start and finish times, 64% report being contacted outside working hours at least occasionally, compared with 49% of those with standard schedules. A similar pattern appears by work location: 63% of teleworkers report such contact, compared with 48% of employees working exclusively at their employer’s premises.”
The psychological toll is considerable. The Always-On Workforce Report found that 92% of UK employees struggle to mentally switch off during their time off, well above the European average of 78%. Additionally, 88% said they feel anxious or guilty when requesting leave. Fear of missing out, management expectations, work apps on personal phones, and concerns about being seen as replaceable all contribute to this inability to disconnect.
Divergent national responses
In response, several European countries have introduced measures to protect workers’ right to rest. France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, and Luxembourg have implemented legal provisions, labour code amendments, collective agreements, or non-binding codes of practice aimed at limiting out-of-hours contact. These range from statutory right-to-disconnect laws to softer guidelines. The UK, by contrast, has no standalone statutory right to disconnect.
However, enforcement remains a challenge. The regulatory landscape across Europe is fragmented, with national approaches varying considerably. Employers must contend with deeply ingrained always-on workplace cultures, and hybrid working, international collaboration, and cross-border teams make it harder to establish clear boundaries. This is particularly true for senior managers and employees with flexible arrangements, whose roles often involve irregular schedules, greater autonomy, and collaboration across time zones. In some countries, certain obligations apply only to employers above a specified size, leaving workers in smaller businesses with less protection.
As the debate over work-life balance intensifies, the data underscores the need for clearer norms and effective enforcement. The wide variation in working life expectancy across the EU—from 32.7 years in Romania to 44 in the Netherlands—suggests that national contexts matter. Yet the common thread is that the always-on culture is taking a toll on mental health and personal time, and the measures so far are only a partial answer.
