People working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement across Ireland are being asked to have their say on what remote and hybrid working looks like for them – from their commute and work-life balance to their health and wellbeing, to how connected they feel to their community.
A new national survey, the National Remote & Hybrid Work Survey, launched on Tuesday (20th) by Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and the Western Development Commission (WDC), explores aspects of remote and hybrid working that have not previously been examined at national level. Such as; how time saved on commuting is spent and the extent to which remote working has affected decision-making on where to live.
The findings, based on people’s lived experiences, will help inform the policies and practices of Government and other stakeholders into the future. The survey takes approximately 10-12 minutes to complete, and all responses are anonymous.
Speaking at the launch of the survey, President of ATU, Dr Orla Flynn, said that remote and hybrid work ‘have fundamentally reshaped how we live, work and connect, particularly in regional and rural Ireland’.
“By combining ATU’s research expertise and regional reach, with the WDC’s leadership in this area, this survey will generate evidence-based insights to support national decision-making, strengthen communities and ensure that the benefits of new ways of working are shared across all regions of the country.
MEASUREMENT TOOLS
Remote and hybrid work are now established features of working life, and this new survey and collaboration between ATU and the WDC will move the conversation forward again.
The results will deliver much-needed insights and evidence on the impacts of remote and hybrid work across a range of areas, including satisfaction with work, commuting behaviour, work-life balance, spending on local services, community connectivity, regional development, and individual health and wellbeing.
A notable feature of the survey is the use of standardised measurement tools for some questions, allowing researchers, for example, to compare wellbeing levels among those working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement with those of the general population.
THE WIDER IMPACTS OF REMOTE WORKING
For over two decades, the Western Development Commission has been at the forefront of new ways of working in Ireland, championing the potential of teleworking long before remote work became part of everyday life. Its annual National Remote Work Survey, delivered in partnership with University of Galway over a number of years, became one of the country’s most trusted sources of insight into changing work patterns and opportunities for balanced regional development.
The survey builds on more than two decades of WDC research into new ways of working. The new collaboration with ATU marks the next phase of that work, expanding the research to examine the wider impacts of remote and hybrid working on people’s lives, communities and local economies.
GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK
Funded under the TU RISE Programme, which is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021-27, the new survey forms the first part of a two-year project titled Connected Futures: The Economics of Remote and Hybrid Work in Ireland and its Impacts on Wellbeing, Mobility, and the Local Economy. It represents the next chapter in one of Ireland’s most established programmes of remote work research.
Remote and hybrid workers across the country are encouraged to take part in the National Remote & Hybrid Work Survey at 2026 Remote Working in Ireland Survey and Westerndevelopment.ie
