The Dutch Love Four-Day Working Weeks, But Are They Sustainable?

The Dutch have quietly adopted working just a four-day week. But what has been its impact, and can it last?

Your kids are only young once, says Gavin Arm, co-founder of Amsterdam-based small business Positivity Branding. Most people, if they're running a company, they throw themselves into it and work, work, work to try and make it. And they're probably doing it for their kids. But then they look back when they're older and go, 'I missed that part of their lives,' and that's awful. We don't want to be like that.

His business, which he co-founded with colleague Bert de Wit, switched to a four-day workweek seven years ago without salary cuts or extended hours. The work-life balance was at the heart of it, de Wit explains. They emphasize a mindset shift towards working smarter, not harder.

The trend has drawn attention as even the country's biggest union, FNV, pushes to make it official policy. Dutch employees currently enjoy a legal right to request reduced hours. Furthermore, firms have reported gains in employee morale and retention since implementing this model.

However, experts like economist Daniela Glocker from the OECD caution that while Dutch productivity is deemed high, it hasn't seen significant growth in recent years. To maintain their quality of life, the Dutch workforce must either increase productivity or attract more workers.

This situation highlights ongoing discussions around the sustainability of a four-day workweek. With half of Dutch women still working part-time and changing societal expectations around family roles, a versatile approach to employment may be key in addressing future workforce challenges.

 Are you happier? Are you enjoying your life more? That's really what it's all about, Arm reflects, encapsulating the essence of the four-day workweek philosophy.