The four-day working week has been a hot topic in the UK in recent months, but in the Netherlands it’s more common – and Britons who have moved there are loving it
The concept of a four-day working week has been a hot topic in the UK recently. Several councils, including South Cambridgeshire District Council, have given it a whirl to much acclaim, but the idea hasn’t taken off nationwide.
In contrast, other countries are more open to the idea. The Netherlands is one such place where an increasing number of Brits have relocated in recent years, relishing life in the European nation.
Among them is Hannah (name changed), a project manager for a fashion firm and mother of two young children, aged two and four. Having lived in the Netherlands for the past 15 years, she has no plans to return to the UK.
Chatting with the i, Hannah shared her thoughts: “I can’t imagine ever going back to work in the UK. We all work hard, we meet our targets, and there’s a culture of freedom and trust in the workplace that pays off. I don’t know anyone who’s lazy or taking the mickey. You treat people like grown-ups, and you get grown-ups.”
She also said she believes the UK’s work culture doesn’t support overall life satisfaction: “In the UK you feel this pressure to optimise every minute – in the Netherlands, you’re there to do the job, not to care about how it looks. 5pm means 5pm. The office cleaners arrive, the lights go off, and people go home to their families.”
Ravi, another British expat who’s resided in Amsterdam for nearly a decade, echoed Hannah’s sentiments about the Dutch lifestyle, reports the Manchester Evening News.
He stated: “What drew us to Holland was the lifestyle – we reckoned it would give us another ten hours together every week. Here you don’t live to work, you work to live – it’s life over career, every time.
“But that certainly doesn’t mean people don’t take work seriously – in fact they take it more seriously, because they know how important their family time is and they know it’s all about balance.”
Ravi and Hannah aren’t the only Brits who have moved to the Netherlands in recent years. Jennie Mono, from Scotland, relocated to Amsterdam due to a job promotion in 2007 and has remained there ever since.
Speaking to DutchNews, she expressed her intention to stay in the Netherlands until retirement. She elaborated: “What has kept me here though is that I just love it, to be honest. I absolutely love my life here in Amsterdam.
“I don’t know if it’s a completely Dutch life, but it’s a very nice life. I’m going to stay for quite a while. I’ve been here for 17 years.
“I can’t imagine retiring in the Netherlands, because I can’t see myself in an old-folks home speaking poor Dutch. So I’ll probably go back to the UK eventually, but not for some time yet.”