Multi-local living employees in Stuttgart and Milan. An analysis of their employer support for the spatial-temporal organisation of their living arrangements

With work-related living in several places – also known as multi-local living – on the rise due to flexible working and living environments, employers are increasingly challenged to support multi-local living arrangements in order to recruit and retain qualified employees nationwide. This paper presents the first results of an analysis conducted in the cities of Stuttgart in Germany and Milan in Italy. With the help of semi-structured problem-oriented interviews with multi-local employees in knowledge-based sectors, their requirements and the benefits they currently receive from their employers in support of their living arrangements are examined. The results show, among other things, that in both cities certain types of companies are more open to these living arrangements. However, few employers were found to have official policies for dealing with multi-locality. Furthermore, it is shown that different types of multi-local employees require different support. The paper also discusses interactions between workrelated multi-locality and spatial development.