Healthy, inclusive and sustainable remote work futures as a Win-Win for employees and employers in urban, rural and cross-border areas

Project Information

WinWin4WorkLife

Grant agreement ID: 101132580

DOI

10.3030/101132580

EC signature date 26 October 2023

Start date 1 February 2024

End date 31 July 2027

Funded under

• Culture, creativity and inclusive society

Total cost

€ 3 618 782,50

EU contribution

€ 3 618 782,50

Coordinated by

LISER - LUXEMBOURG INSTITUTE OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC RESEARCH
Luxembourg

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - WinWin4WorkLife (Healthy, inclusive and sustainable remote work futures as a Win-Win for employees and employers in urban, rural and cross-border areas)

Reporting period: 2024-02-01 to 2025-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The WinWin4WorkLife project explores how remote work is changing the way we live and work — and how Europe can harness this shift. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home or outside the traditional office has become a normal part of life for many. While remote work offers flexibility and freedom, it also raises important questions: How does it affect our health, productivity, family life, and cities? Who benefits, and who might be left behind?

WinWin4WorkLife responds to these questions by using an interdisciplinary approach and turn remote work into a ‘win-win’— for employees and employers, for urban and rural areas — while supporting broader goals like economic strength, well-being, equality, and sustainability.

Key project activities include:
- Creating a shared definition of remote work across countries, sectors, and disciplines.
- Collecting new data on remote work practices via surveys, time-use diaries, and interviews in five different European regions
- Analyzing how employers support remote work and how this affects productivity, employee health, and company performance.
- Exploring how employees' uptake of remote work influences their daily lives, personal health, and digital skills.
- Predicting how remote work changes residential patterns, travel, and urban/rural development.
- Paying close attention to fairness — who gains, who faces barriers, by gender, income, job type, and region.
- Working with +100 stakeholders (employers, unions, governments, civil society) to co-create practical and future-oriented policies.

Expected outcomes include 4 open datasets, +18 peer-reviewed scientific publications, 2 digital dashboards for employees and employers, and a multilingual policy roadmap — culminating in a European “Manifesto for Healthy, Inclusive and Sustainable Remote Work.” By doing so, WinWin4WorkLife aims to position the EU as a world leader in remote work policy leaving nobody and no place behind.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In its first phase, the project established strong technical and scientific foundation to investigate the multidimensional impacts of RWA in Europe.

It established strong coordination and ethics procedures, captured in a Project Handbook, Data Management Plan, and Ethics and Security Management Report. A Data Sharing Agreement is in place, and advisory bodies (i.e. Advisory Board of 5 experts, internal Ethics Advisor, External Ethics Committee) are active.

To build a shared understanding, the team agreed on remote work terminology across fields, then used this to guide a systematic literature review identifying key research gaps.

Next, data collection campaigns with tailored protocols were set up in Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Slovakia. Surveys for employers and employees, a GPS-enabled time-use diary, and interview guides were developed using the MOTUS platform. Ethical approvals were obtained for each country. A digital nomad survey is underway in Portugal.

As data collection is not yet complete, analytical work was limited to preliminary discussions on analysis plans defining key concepts and variables needed for the analyses.

We also began urban and regional modelling in Germany and Luxembourg, where land-use and transport models are being adapted. Preparations are underway in the remaining regions (Helsinki/South-Savo region in Finland, Lisbon in Portugal, and Bratislava-Zilina-Kosice corridor in Slovakia).

The Stakeholder Panel has been launched. From 231 contacts, 66 experts across fields have already formally joined. They will shape policy relevance and ensure results are actionable.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Key results so far.

1. A harmonized lexicon of remote work terms supports clear communication and data consistency.
2. A systematic literature review report identifying knowledge gaps that could guide future HE calls going beyond the state-of-the-art.
3. Detailed study protocols enable comparable employer and employee data collection across countries.
4. Data collection is progressing well, producing novel datasets that support joint analysis of social, economic, and spatial impacts of remote work.
5. A first version of the Stakeholder Panel ensuring ongoing input from diverse sectors.

Together, these early results provide the basis for significant long-term impact. To ensure further uptake, continued stakeholder engagement, open access to tools and data, and alignment with EU and national policy agendas will be essential.