What happened to remote work?

This is a very legitimate question especially considering that many companies, in Italy and abroad, have started a real battle against remote working. Behind this move is the assumption, often incorrect, that only a presence in the official workplace will contribute to improving production and activity within organizations. In reality, the objective seems to be linked more to the need to regain a certain form of control over people rather than over work performance. This line of thought does not seem to take into due consideration the need (even after the pandemic) for flexibility on the part of those who do the actual work.

Of particular note, according to the latest data from a recent research report from the Polytechnic of Milan’s Smart Working Observatory shows that Smart Working (in Italian "Smart Working" or "Lavoro Agile"), in its traditional form (working from home one or two days per week - or in its evolved component as a form of hybrid work which sees workers partly on-site and partly remote) is still not only a popular working method adopted by many companies but also the working method most requested by employees.

In 2024 it was estimated that there were approximately 3.55 million remote workers in Italy. This figure is close to the 2023 figure of 3.58 million – although it does demonstrate a slight decrease (-0.8%) potentially stemming from...