Managing digital work in the post-pandemic era: telework intensity, organisational support, and employee well-being

Purpose This study investigates how telework intensity relates to employee well-being across 36 European countries. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the paper examines whether workplace characteristics such as support, autonomy, and work-life balance act as pathways or moderators that condition telework outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Using the 2021 European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), the analysis covers over 30,000 employees. Baseline regressions estimate the average association between telework intensity and multiple indicators of mental health and well-being, including depression risk, burnout, and overall well-being. Extended models incorporate interaction terms between teleworkability and organisational factors, including managerial support, decision-making autonomy, work–life balance, within a recursive mixed-process framework to assess both mediating and moderating effects. Findings Results indicate that telework’s effects are contingent rather than universal. While teleworkable jobs with high social interaction reduce physical burnout, jobs with low interaction are associated with higher depression and emotional exhaustion. Work–life balance, autonomy, and managerial support emerge as critical resources that buffer negative effects and enhance positive outcomes, whereas high demands such as tight deadlines and emotional strain consistently undermine well-being. Social implications The findings highlight the need for organisations and policymakers to design telework arrangements that extend beyond access to remote work, ensuring supportive environments, balanced workloads, and resource-rich job design to safeguard employee well-being. Originality/value By integrating JD-R, COR, and boundary theory, the study moves beyond binary evaluations of telework to provide a comprehensive, multi-level analysis of how digital work interacts with organisational contexts to shape employee well-being.