European workers face rising stress from always‑on work culture

A Eurofound study released in June found that about one in five EU employees are contacted for work reasons outside normal hours several times each month. The same survey reported that 59% of respondents experience frequent stress at work, and the likelihood of stress rises sharply when workers receive out‑of‑hours contact. Remote workers and those with flexible schedules are especially affected, with 64% of flexible‑hour employees and 63% of teleworkers reporting such contact.

In the United Kingdom, MyPerfectCV’s Always‑On Workforce Report 2026 shows that more than half of British staff work beyond their regular hours every day. An analysis by the Trades Union Congress estimates that 3.5 million British workers – roughly one in eight – performed regular unpaid overtime last year, valued at £28.5 billion (€33.3 billion). The combined pressure of heavy workloads and constant availability is worsening mental‑health outcomes and work‑life balance across Europe.