Eurofound maps three distinct hybrid work models across European organisations

A new Eurofound report, “Shaping the Future of Work: Inside Europe’s Hybrid Work Strategies,” draws on ten case studies across Austria, Finland, Lithuania, and Spain to identify three distinct hybrid work models now in use across European organisations. The structured, balanced model (two to three remote days per week) is the most common, followed by flexible, unconstrained setups where remote work is the default, and rigid, office-first arrangements with minimal flexibility.

The research finds that labour market competitiveness is the primary driver — organisations report using hybrid arrangements as a deliberate strategy to attract younger professionals and skilled workers who prioritise work-life balance. Workers’ representatives have been actively involved through negotiation in designing these arrangements, with social dialogue helping to ensure equitable access and the voluntariness of agreed models.

For remote workers evaluating European employers, the report offers a useful framework for understanding what “hybrid” actually means in practice — the term covers a wide spectrum from near-full flexibility to token gestures. The finding that worker participation in policy design correlates with better outcomes is also notable, as it suggests that organisations with strong employee voice tend to implement hybrid work more effectively.