The Netherlands Four Day Working Week Model Under Economic Scrutiny

The Netherlands has emerged as an unlikely pioneer in shorter working weeks, with employees across the country now averaging just 32.1 hours per week, the lowest figure in the European Union. This development has prompted debate about whether such arrangements remain economically viable in the long term, particularly as demographic pressures intensify across developed economies.

Amsterdam-based Positivity Branding introduced a four-day working week for its staff in 2019. Gavin Arm and Bert de Wit, who co-founded the company specialising in brand identity and packaging consultancy, implemented the policy without reducing salaries or extending daily working hours. Employees maintained their 32-hour weekly schedules distributed across eight-hour days.

De Wit attributes the success of the arrangement to improved efficiency rather than diminished output. He argues that the policy represents a shift towards smarter working practices, emphasising that time spent at work does not necessarily correlate with productivity. The cultural and operational adjustments required to implement such changes present the greatest challenges for organisations, according to the company’s experience.

The approach has gained traction among larger Dutch corporations as well. Marieke Pepers, chief people officer at software company Nmbrs, reports reduced staff sickness rates and improved retention since adopting a four-day schedule. Pepers, who takes Fridays off, maintains that unstructured time enhances creativity and overall performance. However, she acknowledges initial resistance from investors and employees concerned about meeting existing workload demands within a compressed timeframe.

The company addressed these concerns through rigorous prioritisation of tasks and a reduction in meeting culture. Such organisational discipline appears essential to making shorter working weeks function effectively without compromising business outcomes.

Dutch workers’ average of 32.1 hours per week contrasts sharply with the EU average of 36 hours. Despite working fewer hours, the Netherlands maintains GDP per capita near the top of OECD rankings, challenging conventional assumptions about the relationship between working time and economic competitiveness.

Daniela Glocker, an economist covering the Netherlands at the OECD, offers a more nuanced assessment. Whilst acknowledging high Dutch productivity levels, she highlights a concerning trend: productivity growth has stagnated over the past 15 years. To preserve living standards, the country faces two options: increasing productivity per working day or expanding the labour supply through measures such as immigration.

The Netherlands possesses the highest proportion of part-time workers among OECD member states, with nearly half of all employees working below full-time hours. Government analysis reveals that three-quarters of women and one-quarter of men work fewer than 35 hours weekly. The structure of Dutch taxation and wage levels makes additional working hours less financially attractive, encouraging households to prioritise leisure over incremental income.

Trade unions argue that normalised four-day patterns can retain workers who might otherwise exit the labour market entirely. FNV, the country’s largest union, continues to lobby for official government endorsement of the four-day week. Dutch employees already possess legal rights to request reduced hours.

Nicolas Gonne, another OECD economist, warns that the Netherlands faces mounting constraints. An ageing population means fewer workers supporting more retirees, creating sustainability questions about current working patterns. He suggests that expanding labour supply represents the most viable solution to these demographic pressures.

Female workforce participation presents a particular opportunity and challenge. Whilst employment rates among Dutch women are high, more than half work part-time, approximately three times the OECD average. Access to affordable childcare remains limited, and the tax system can discourage second earners from increasing their hours.

Peter Hein van Mulligen from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) identifies deeply embedded social attitudes as barriers to fuller female participation. Research from 2024 indicates that one-third of Dutch residents believe mothers with children aged three or younger should work no more than one day per week. Nearly 80 per cent consider three days per week the maximum appropriate working time for mothers of young children. The corresponding figures for fathers stand at 5 per cent and 29 per cent respectively, revealing significant gender disparities in social expectations.

Yvette Becker from FNV union contends that four-day working weeks could help address gender imbalances by reducing absenteeism and improving productivity. This perspective suggests that shorter working weeks might facilitate more equitable distribution of caring responsibilities between partners.

De Wit argues that reduced working weeks could make employment more attractive in sectors experiencing labour shortages, particularly education and healthcare. Enhanced work-life balance might draw workers to professions that currently struggle to recruit and retain staff, potentially addressing both productivity and staffing concerns simultaneously.

The Dutch experience raises fundamental questions about economic organisation in developed nations. Whilst the country demonstrates that high living standards and shorter working weeks can coexist, stagnant productivity growth and demographic headwinds threaten the sustainability of current arrangements. Whether the Netherlands can resolve these tensions through increased efficiency, expanded labour force participation, or other structural reforms will likely influence broader European debates about working time and economic competitiveness.