Work-life balance

The Dutch tend to work hard and enjoy learning new things, while staying committed to maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Employees generally have clear boundaries between work and personal lives, meaning that laptops stay shut after 18:00 and the weekend is all yours for relaxing. A happy, well-rested workforce is clearly a productive workforce, as the Netherlands is known for being among the countries with the best work-life balance in the world, regularly ranking highly on the OECD Better Life Index. 

Multicultural and Egalitarian

Most companies have a horizontal, informal work culture. Ranks and job titles are happily disregarded. While the managers may be the final decision-makers, they will typically value their colleagues’ input and strive for consensus. The Netherlands also has by far the highest percentage of non-native English speakers in Europe, and it’s common for Dutch people to speak German and French too. A standard Dutch working week comprises 36, 38, or 40 hours. In the past years, more and more people have started working part-time in the Netherlands. Working overtime on a regular basis is not very common either. Only 0.3% of all employees in the Netherlands work more than 50 hours a week, compared to the average 10% in the other OECD countries.

Employee Protections

The Netherlands protects its workforce with an excellent social insurance system that covers most medical bills and hospital expenses. So if you fall ill or have an unexpected injury, rest assured, you will be taken care of. The country also provides a minimum income to those unable to earn a living due to illness, injury, or any other valid reason for unemployment.