The Success of Flexible Work Hours
In 2015, the Netherlands introduced the Flexible Working Act, granting workers the privilege to negotiate work hours around their personal schedule and, in some cases, the choice to work from home. Surveys have already shown that flexible hours is the most important employment condition, after salary, that people look for in a job and that it becomes increasingly valuable as workers get older.
The obvious advantage of flexible work hours is that it meets the needs of working parents who face the challenge of balancing their work and family life. Ideally, parents would want to plan their work schedule around their responsibilities such as doctor appointments, child-sick days, parent-teacher meetings and perhaps even school holidays. A lot of employers are warming up to the idea that parenthood should not be a barrier to a worker’s career ambitions, instead they are willing to negotiate schedules that work both for parents and their business.
In addition to flexible work hours, some have also found teleworking to be a viable alternative to typical fixed office work schedules. Teleworking means giving employees the option to work independently from home. Permission for this is normally granted under exceptional circumstances, but it is ideal for parents who may not have a day-care plan for their children and who can independently plan their work schedule alongside their family schedule. For other workers, this can be beneficial to avoid long or tedious commutes to work, as well as reducing stress and carbon emissions. Of course, this only works for certain jobs that do not require too much personal interaction with clients and that requires a level of trust with an employer (to let the employee work independently).
Flexible work hours do not necessarily equate to less leisure time either, as employees spend an average of 15.4 hours a day on their home lives and families. From the outside looking in, it is easy to assume that Dutch workers seek out a more relaxed working lifestyle, but the truth is that flexible work hours can actually boost one’s career. Instead of having to choose between moving up the job ladder or raising a family, employers and employees are realising that both are possible with a bit of compromise. Knowing that flexible schedules are possible can even push worker ambitions, knowing that higher jobs will not always mean unreasonable life sacrifices.
As a whole, the Flexible Work Act has made drastic changes to perceptions of work in the Netherlands. Employers now realise they have a duty to care towards employees, where they should be given sufficient personal time away from work to look after themselves and families. On the other side of this law, employees may also have extra incentive to be more productive in a less strenuous work environment and the flexibility to form a dedicated work schedule that works best for them. That is to say, a more relaxed and flexible work ethic can actually mean a more successful and industrious workforce.
Written by Edward Mah for Together Abroad