Hybrid working, digital transformation and life satisfaction: Evidence from Europe

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of “hybrid working” arrangements, where (teleworkable) work is carried out from home (‘first place’), the place of work (‘second place’), or other locations (‘third place’). This has led to renewed interest in the impacts of hybrid working on workers’ personal, household, and job spheres, including concepts such as life satisfaction, work-life balance, job satisfaction and job quality. There is little empirical data regarding the effects of hybrid working on people’s life satisfaction, although some academics view hybrid working as the “new normal”. To fill this gap, the paper explores whether and how hybrid working is associated with employees’ life satisfaction during the pandemic (spring 2020 – spring 2022). To achieve this aim, the Eurofound (2022) survey called “Living, Working, and COVID-19” was analysed through econometric models. Our results show that there are gender disparities in the self-reported life satisfaction of hybrid workers, which are exacerbated when children are present. Moreover, being a hybrid worker is positively correlated with higher self-reported life satisfaction when compared to those who work solely on the employer’s or client’s premises.