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The Netherlands Transforms the Four-Day Week into an Spontaneous Trend Thanks to the Strong Balance Between Personal Life and Work. High Productivity and Competitive Salaries Sustain the Model, While Latin America Faces the Opposite Scenario.
The Netherlands is undergoing a transformation that, although it did not begin with laws or decrees, is already profoundly altering the daily lives of workers. In recent years, the country has consolidated the four-day week as an increasingly common habit, resulting from a culture that prioritizes quality of life, autonomy, and balance between professional and personal responsibilities.
The movement has gained strength in different regions and sectors, becoming common in companies and attracting international attention — all because, unlike what happens in other countries, the reduction of hours has not been seen as a threat to productivity, but as a natural consequence of decades of welfare-focused policies.
How the Shorter Workweek Became Part of Dutch Routine
The reduced week, although it seems like a modern proposal, did not emerge in the Netherlands as a campaign to transform the labor market.
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In practice, it was a silent change, driven by individual choices and the confidence that balancing personal and professional life would not jeopardize jobs.
According to the 4 Day Week Foundation, many workers began adjusting their hours on their own initiative, without fear of reprisals or losing growth opportunities.
This discreet movement, combined with the flexibility offered by various companies, ended up shaping a new standard: working four days ceased to be an exception and became almost an informal norm.
The numbers reinforce this cultural trend. Data from 2023 released by Eurostat shows that the average weekly hours in the Netherlands stood at 32.2 hours, the lowest among European countries.
In comparison:
- France: 36 hours
- Germany: 34 hours
- Italy: 36.1 hours
The ING economist, Bert Colijn, summarized the scenario to the Financial Times:
“The four-day week has become very, very common. I work five days and sometimes I’m criticized for it.”
This statement helps illustrate how much the model has already become part of everyday life — and how social pressure, instead of encouraging overwork, values moderation.
High Productivity and Good Salaries Sustain the Change
The spontaneous adoption of the reduced week only became possible because the Netherlands maintains extremely high productivity levels.
Even with fewer hours worked, the country remains among the most efficient in Europe: at € 45.3 per hour (about R$ 278.9), well above the € 29.4 in Spain (R$ 181).
This high yield is accompanied by competitive remuneration.
The average gross salary stands at € 16.2 per hour (approximately R$ 99.7), above the European average of € 14.9 (R$ 91.7).
The most impressive aspect, however, is that this evolution was not guided by a specific law.
It represents a natural transition, supported by welfare policies developed over decades, internal agreements within companies, and a social view that values quality time outside the professional environment.
Thus, the Netherlands has shown that reducing work hours does not have to mean a drop in productivity — and that the pursuit of balance can coexist with good economic results.
While the Netherlands Reduces Hours, Latin America Faces the Opposite Reality
When observing the Latin American scenario, especially in Mexico, the contrast becomes evident.
According to the OECD, in 2023 the country recorded 2,207 annual hours of work per person, one of the highest workloads on the planet.
Additionally, data released by El País showed that one in four workers exceeded 48 hours per week in the last quarter of 2024.
Although Mexican legislation officially establishes a maximum workweek of 48 hours, common practice goes well beyond that, with exhausting routines and few mechanisms that promote flexibility.
For years, there has been discussion about a reduction to 40 hours per week, but proposals are advancing slowly.
The most recent proposal foresees a gradual transition until 2030 — very distant from the Dutch reality, where working less is already part of the culture and not legislation.
While the Netherlands strengthens a model based on rest, well-being, and efficiency, much of Latin America still faces long hours, physical strain, and low quality of life.
The two scenarios reveal opposite pathways for the future of work — and reinforce that cultural change can be as or more powerful than a legal reform.
Learn More About The Netherlands
Source: Xataka
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