Remote Work Culture in Italy: Smart Working Norms and Expectations

Italy changed how it thinks about remote work after the pandemic. Before that, working from home was rare in most companies. Today it is a normal part of the conversation when you hire. If your company is based abroad and plans to hire in Italy, you need to understand what people mean when they say “smart working”.

What “smart working” means in Italy  

Italians use the English term “smart working” for almost any form of remote work. In everyday speech it often just means working from home. In a formal sense, it describes a way of working where the employee has flexibility over place and, to a degree, over time.

This matters for expectations. A candidate who asks about smart working may be asking about one of several different things. It could be a fixed number of days at home. It could be full remote work. It could be flexibility to adjust hours around family needs. Ask what they mean before you answer.

What candidates expect  

Most Italian professionals in office-based roles now assume some remote work is possible. This is especially true in technology, marketing, finance, design and customer support. Many see it as part of the package, like holiday or health cover.

Three expectations come up often:

• A hybrid model. Many people want a mix of home and office. They value the days at home for focused work and the days in the office for team contact.
• Trust over supervision. Employees expect to be judged on results. Constant check-ins or activity tracking feel out of place and can damage trust quickly.
• Clear rules. People want to know in advance which days are remote, who decides, and what happens when plans change.

Full remote roles are attractive, particularly to people who live outside the main cities or in the south. A company that offers them can reach talent that local employers miss. But full remote also asks more of you as an employer. Onboarding, culture and management all need more care.

Culture still values presence  

Remote work is accepted, but Italian workplace culture is relational. Personal contact counts. Meetings often include small talk. Managers like to know their team face to face. Lunch together is part of working life in many offices.

So remote teams in Italy tend to work best when there is regular in-person contact. A team that never meets can feel isolated. A short visit to meet colleagues, or an occasional team day, helps a lot. This is not about control. It is about building the relationships that make remote work function.

Written agreements help  

Smart working should be set out in writing. An informal promise on a call is not enough. A clear written arrangement covers the basics:

• Where the employee will work and how often from home.
• Which equipment the company provides.
• How working hours and availability are agreed.
• How the employee can disconnect outside working hours.
• How data and company systems are kept secure.

Italian employees care about the right to disconnect. If your team is in another time zone, say so early and agree on realistic overlap hours. Do not expect replies late in the evening as a default. It will cause friction, and good people will leave.

The home workplace also raises health and safety questions. The employer stays responsible for these, even when the work happens at home. Plan for this from the start, not after a problem appears.

Practical advice for foreign employers  

Decide your policy before you recruit. Candidates will ask. If your answer changes from one interview to the next, you lose credibility.

Offer flexibility where you can. You do not have to allow everything. But a rigid office-only rule will shrink your candidate pool, and a fully remote offer will widen it.

Invest in equipment and tools. A good laptop, a monitor and reliable communication tools show that you take remote work seriously.

Plan for local contact. If your Italian hire is alone in the country, give them a way to meet colleagues. Co-working spaces, team visits and a named buddy all help.

Manage by output. Set clear goals, review them regularly, and avoid measuring presence. This fits both the local culture and good management practice.

Respect local norms on time. Holidays, rest and disconnection are taken seriously. Respecting them builds loyalty.

The role of an Employer of Record  

When you hire in Italy without your own entity, an Employer of Record (EOR) becomes the legal employer on paper. The employee works day to day for you, in the way you agree. The EOR handles the contract, payroll and compliance. It can also help you write a smart working arrangement that fits Italian practice and your own needs. That removes guesswork and lets you offer a clear remote policy from the first conversation.

Bottom line  

Smart working is now an ordinary expectation in Italy, not a perk. Candidates look for flexibility, trust and clear rules. They also value human contact. If you combine all of these, you will hire well and keep your people.

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