If you ever need an argument for why you should reduce your hours, show this to your boss. A study by RaboResearch has found that people in the Netherlands are becoming more productive — while working less hours.
According to the study, productivity among employees in the Netherlands has increased for the first time in years.
Since 2024, productivity in the Netherlands has increased by 4.9%. The 10 years prior? It had been decreasing.
And no, more hours aren’t the answer
One reason why productivity in the Netherlands has increased, is actually because people are working less hours, the study found.
Think about it. How productive are you actually between the hours of 3 PM and 5 PM? How about on Fridays?
The study measured labour productivity based on how much employees can get done in one hour of work. If you work a shorter week, where you, for example leave at 2 PM or don’t work on Fridays, you likely cut away some of those foggy hours lost to fatigue, leaving only the more productive ones.
Indeed, this is what the study found, pointing out that by working fewer hours, less productive hours were not included in the measure of an employee’s productivity.
The study also pointed out that when someone works a 40-hour work week, they may have to use some of those working hours to attend appointments they wouldn’t otherwise make, ultimately reducing the productivity of their working hours.
Meanwhile, someone who works a four-day work week, will be able to attend appointments outside of working hours, meaning they can be more productive during the hours they do work.
Speaking with RTL Nieuws, economist Frank van Es of Rabobank explains that “If people work fewer hours, they become more productive in the remaining working time.”
Other reasons for the bump in productivity
However, we can’t attribute it all to the working hours. The study found other factors that also contributed to the increase in productivity.
For one, the study also pointed out that if the number of hours a person works decreases, but the number of devices/tools used to do that work doesn’t, then this will also increase productivity.
The study also pointed to AI. It found that this may be the cause for an increase in productivity in the ICT sector and business services. For example, ICT companies may create and sell AI applications, generating more income all while requiring fewer employees.
And of course, AI can also speed up the work processes of many employees, meaning that productivity is increased further.
That being said, the exact effect of AI on productivity is difficult to measure, Van Es explains.
Another factor? More freelancers are switching to contracted work, which means many people are no longer factoring in several hours of figuring out their admin into their working hours. Ultimately, this means their working hours are more productive.
It won’t last forever
Van Es is also quick to point out that the productivity of employees isn’t going to simply increase indefinitely. In the end, we’re still human.
He expects that the current increase in productivity is simply a temporary effect and productivity will decline again in the coming years.
Why? Because the Netherlands isn’t going to suddenly start investing more in factors that increase labour productivity, such as research and development, education, and goods such as machines and computers.
Unless this happens, this uptick in productivity will soon wear off.
But hey, let’s focus on the here and now: people in the Netherlands are more productive, all while skipping the 40-hour work week.
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