Workplace flexibility is emerging as a possible key to reducing stress and improving work–life balance, according to a new survey of more than 5,000 salaried employees in Denmark. The findings suggest that workers who feel they have a high degree of flexibility in their jobs are less likely to describe themselves as stressed, but researchers warn that flexibility alone will not solve the pressures of modern working life.
Danish survey links workplace flexibility and lower stress
The new workplace survey by the professional union Djøf is based on responses from 5,303 members in work, collected in May and June 2025. Two out of three respondents – 68 percent – say they have the flexibility they need in their job. Among this group, only 7 percent describe themselves as stressed.
By contrast, stress is much more common among those who report limited flexibility. In the group with low flexibility, 28 percent say they feel stressed in everyday life. The survey also points to a clear link with work–life balance: 71 percent of respondents with low flexibility say they do not have a good balance between work and private life, compared with 31 percent among those with high flexibility.
Djøf president Sara Vergo describes the results as a strong indication that flexibility can support a more sustainable working life. At the same time, she stresses that the figures show correlation, not causation. Flexible arrangements seem to be one part of the explanation for lower stress levels, not a stand‑alone solution.
What counts as flexible work in Denmark
The survey does not give a single definition of flexible work, leaving respondents to answer based on their own experience. In practice, flexibility can cover several dimensions of the working day:
- Working time – when hours are scheduled and how fixed the start and end of the day are.
- Number of hours – whether employees can increase or reduce their workload in different periods.
- Location – the possibility to work from home, during commuting or from another place such as a summer house.
- Tasks and priorities – how much control employees have over which tasks they take on first.
Stress researcher Malene Friis Andersen notes that this broad understanding reflects how flexibility is lived in everyday work. For some employees, the most important factor is the ability to start later to take children to school; for others, it is the option to work from home a couple of days a week or to adjust responsibilities after a demanding period.
The Danish debate on flexible work has intensified since the pandemic, when remote work and hybrid models became normal in many sectors. In a labour market characterised by high digitalisation and relatively high levels of trust between employers and employees, flexibility has increasingly been framed as a prerequisite for retaining skilled staff and attracting new talent.
Research on flexible work and mental health in Europe
International research supports the idea that employee‑oriented flexible work can have modest but measurable benefits for mental health. Systematic reviews have found small positive effects on symptoms such as psychological distress and burnout when workers have more control over when and where they work, especially when flexibility is introduced to meet employees’ needs rather than purely organisational demands.
European studies on flexible work arrangements and work–life balance satisfaction also point to a generally positive relationship, but the effect is often moderate and shaped by context. The impact depends on factors such as workplace culture, gender norms, job security and how easy it is in practice to make use of flexible options without facing penalties in terms of career progression or workload.
This wider body of research aligns with the Danish findings: workplace flexibility appears to be one important protective factor for well‑being, but its effect is limited if other conditions at work are not supportive.
Why flexibility is not a quick fix for stress
Both Djøf and independent researchers underline that flexibility should not be seen as a magic cure for stress. The Danish survey shows that even in a relatively privileged group of knowledge workers, overall stress levels are high. Fourteen percent of respondents describe themselves as stressed in their daily life, and one in four say they have felt stressed “all the time” or “often” in the previous two weeks.
Stress typically arises when there is a long‑term imbalance between demands and resources. Flexible work can increase employees’ sense of control, which is known to be one of the most important protective factors. But if flexibility is introduced without addressing workload, staffing levels or unclear responsibilities, it can also create new pressures.
Researchers point out several risks:
- Blurring of boundaries between work and private life if emails and tasks flow into evenings and weekends.
- Isolation when large parts of the job are performed from home without structured opportunities to meet colleagues.
- Hidden expectations that employees will always be available, even if the formal policy talks about freedom and autonomy.
For flexibility to reduce stress instead of amplifying it, workplaces need clear agreements on availability, realistic workload planning and regular dialogue about how flexible arrangements work in practice.
Return‑to‑office policies challenge Nordic work models
The Djøf survey comes at a time when several large companies, in Denmark and internationally, are rolling back pandemic‑era remote work policies. Some employers now require staff to be present at the office most or all days of the week, arguing that physical presence is necessary for collaboration, innovation and a strong workplace culture.
In Denmark, well‑known companies have tightened their rules on working from home, while global firms such as major technology and finance corporations have done the same in other countries. This return‑to‑office trend worries both unions and researchers who see flexibility as part of a sustainable work model.
Djøf emphasises that there is no solid evidence that employees become less productive when they work from home. On the contrary, several studies suggest stable or slightly improved productivity, provided that tasks are suitable for remote work and that managers adjust how they lead distributed teams.
The new Danish survey therefore adds weight to the argument that hybrid work and flexible time arrangements should be developed rather than dismantled. For many employees, the ability to work from home a few days per week or to shift hours during the day is precisely what makes full‑time work compatible with family life, further education or caring responsibilities.
Implications for Nordic and European workplaces
The findings from Denmark feed into a broader Nordic and European discussion about what a sustainable working life should look like. Nordic labour markets are often described as combining relatively high job security with openness to technological change and new forms of work. The debate over flexibility and stress is now testing how that model can adapt.
At European level, recent initiatives on work–life balance for parents and carers, alongside discussions about the right to disconnect, underline that flexibility must go hand in hand with protection. The Danish survey illustrates how employees’ own perception of flexibility can be a useful indicator of well‑being, but also how unequal access to flexible arrangements risks creating new divides between different groups of workers.
For employers, the main lesson is that workplace flexibility works best when it is designed as a genuine tool for employee autonomy, not only as a way to increase availability or extend the working day. For trade unions and policymakers, the study offers new data to support debates on working time regulation, remote work frameworks and the future of office life in the Nordic countries and across the European Union.
The overall message from the Danish case is cautious but clear: flexibility can be one key to reducing stress and improving work–life balance, but it needs to be anchored in realistic workloads, clear expectations and a strong social environment at work.
