The call for self-imposed isolation across Europe can prove challenging for the majority of the continent’s non-domestic work population. Six out of every 10 people in the European Union (EU) have not worked from home in 2018, according to data compiled by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

In Italy, where the government applies the world’s first full quarantine of the country, 67% of employees say they have never worked remotely and less than a quarter of households have access to ultra-fast broadband.

Some countries rely more on work because of the nature of their economies. Industry accounts for nearly half of German production, which makes it difficult – if not impossible – to relocate staff. At the same time, in the UK, the industry is only about 10% of manufacturing and work from home is far more common.

It is also an infrastructure that varies widely across the block. Countries with fewer broadband networks may have difficulty maintaining workforce activity.

Individual companies must also contribute. Nearly two-thirds of companies provide mobile phones, laptops or tablets to their employees, according to Eurostat. The catch in this data – they only apply to businesses with at least 10 employees. But 90% of companies in Europe are smaller.

Letting employees work from home can be a possible solution for a number of companies, especially in the business services sector. However, for the majority of the 17% of Europeans working in the industrial industry, 7% in the construction, 14% in the trade and 5% in the hotel and restaurant industry, however, this opportunity is not available.