30 hour work week

Is it possible to work 30 hours a week without losing productivity?

Everyone recognizes it these days: agendas that are full of appointments, schedules that fill up without you even realizing it, and feel like you're working your ass off but still get stuck between your responsibilities. As long as this' stress' is only for a short period of time, it can in principle do no harm, and in many cases it actually ensures that your body can function properly. Stress that lasts longer, on the other hand, contributes to the development of serious complaints, such as burnout or depression. That's why it's important to monitor your stress level and get enough exercise, sleep and relaxation. Research shows that a 30-hour week may offer solutions to stress-related problems.

“Where in those jam-packed agendas is there still room for relaxation these days?”

To keep going through life happily, it's important to keep your stress levels in check. But unfortunately, that seems to be exactly the crux of the problem: because where are those jam-packed agendas still room for relaxation nowadays when you have to work at least eight hours a day, the pressure to perform is emotionally increasing, and the children also need attention? There simply doesn't even seem to be time to think about a healthy and relaxed lifestyle, let alone time to actually act on it!

“Trade union CNV calls for a 30-hour work week”

Research by the CNV shows that a large group of people in the Netherlands experience stress, and many even report that they are facing a burnout. Especially among young adults, the number of mental health problems is only increasing. And it is precisely for these reasons that the union calls for a 30-hour week. According to them, a shorter working week is the solution to get people to pay more attention to themselves and everything they find important. In addition, the study shows that people think they work more productively and efficiently with a shortened working week.

“Shorter work week even possible without loss of productivity”

Whether or not that 30-hour working week will eventually happen remains to be seen. In any case, the discussion about a new balance has started, and the way of thinking about working is changing. Based on the latest research and insights, a shorter working week would be possible, even without losing productivity and maintaining the same salary. However, this also raises a fair question: is it possible to get the same work done in fewer working hours without increasing employees' stress levels?

“Digitization can save one day a week in work”

In our opinion, this is absolutely feasible: a person's time can be spent more efficiently and solutions can be devised for many time-consuming activities. A shortened working week will have to go hand in hand with digitizing and automating certain processes. It is the solution to let employees focus on the core processes within a company and to save valuable time. For example, consider how many hours are saved when administrative processes such as processing claims or invoices are automatic. Or when data is automatically checked and analyzed and key findings are displayed on real-time dashboards in the blink of an eye. Even more time is saved when employees then have access to the insights and reports that the dashboards generate anytime, anywhere. Without you even thinking about it, digitizing the work processes can save you just one day a week in work. To make these optimizations possible and achieve the necessary transformations within your company, we are happy to offer our help. We will talk together to find out how digitization fits into your organization and where we can make a difference!