World of HR: Workers in Europe like working remotely—but not enough to take a pay cut

Remote work in Europe doubled between 2019 and 2024, with more than one in five workers in the region now working remotely at least one day a week. Despite the popularity of remote work, a new report from the European Central Bank (ECB) found that remote and hybrid workers wouldn’t take a pay cut to keep their current schedule.

Where in the world? Roughly 34% of workers in Europe are remote at least one day a week, and 10.6% are fully remote, according to the CEB. Most workers prefer a hybrid schedule.

While workers enjoy working remotely, 70% said they don’t love it enough to take a pay cut. Those who are willing to sacrifice some of their salary said they would accept a 2.6% decrease, while 8% would take a 6%–10% reduction.

The report noted that remote work can inhibit workers’ ability to be recognized and socialize at work, which may make some unwilling to take a pay cut. But younger workers and those with children at home reported being more likely to accept a pay cut, as did those with longer commutes.

“For some employees—particularly those with children or long commutes—working from home is highly valued, as it can help them balance their work and personal life,” the authors concluded. “Remote working flexibility can therefore play a role in attracting and retaining workers, especially in tight labour markets where skilled staff are scarce.”

Satellite view. Workers in the US may be more willing than their European counterparts to give up some cash to work remotely, according to recent surveys from Youngstown State University and FlexJobs.

Fifty-five percent of fully in-person workers said they would accept a pay cut in exchange for a remote or hybrid option, Youngstown State University found. Many respondents said they would accept up to an 11% pay cut to work a hybrid schedule, while just one-third of current remote and hybrid workers said a pay increase could lure them into the office full-time. Meanwhile, 69% of respondents to FlexJobs’ survey said they would take a pay cut to work remotely, up 11% from 2024.

Maybe US workers could be persuaded to give up work-from-home days if they had European benefits, according to a report from CNBC—universal healthcare and four weeks of PTO a year is quite alluring.