Without fanfare or sweeping national laws, millions of people have shifted to working just four days a week.

The country now has the shortest average working week in the European Union. Yet according to recent report published in the BBC, it remains one of the wealthiest and most productive economies in Europe.

Is this the future of work, or a model that may struggle to hold together?

A different way to measure success

At a small branding agency in Amsterdam’s De Pijp district, co-founders Gavin Arm and Bert de Wit made the leap seven years ago. Their company, Positivity Branding, reduced its schedule to 32 hours across four days. Salaries stayed the same. Daily hours stayed the same. What changed was the rhythm of life.

For Arm, the motivation was personal. Too many entrepreneurs sacrifice family time in pursuit of business success, only to regret it later. The four-day week was a way to protect what matters most.

De Wit rejects the idea that employees are being paid the same for less work. The shift, he says, is about working smarter. Fewer meetings. Clearer priorities. Less time spent looking busy and more time focused on results.

Their experience is not unique.

A national pattern

Across the Netherlands, part-time and reduced-hour contracts are common. Dutch employees work an average of just over 32 hours per week, far below the EU average. Nearly half of the workforce is part time, the highest share in the OECD.

Despite this, the country’s GDP per capita remains among the highest in Europe. The traditional assumption that long hours are necessary for economic strength does not seem to apply here.

Supporters argue that fewer hours can boost energy and lower sickness rates. At Dutch software company Nmbrs, chief people officer Marieke Pepers takes every Friday off. She says the company saw sickness fall and staff retention improve after moving to a four-day model. Employees initially worried they would not finish their tasks, but stricter prioritisation and fewer meetings made it workable.

Unions such as FNV are now pushing for the four-day week to become the official norm. Dutch workers already have the legal right to request reduced hours, giving flexibility strong institutional backing.

The economic tension

Still, not everyone is convinced this model can last indefinitely.

Economists at the OECD point out that while the Netherlands has high productivity, growth in productivity has slowed over the past 15 years. If output per worker does not rise, maintaining current living standards could become difficult.

The country also faces demographic pressure. Like much of Europe, it has an ageing population. As more people retire, fewer remain in the labour force. With so many employees already working part time, expanding the workforce becomes more challenging.

One potential solution would be to increase full-time participation, especially among women. Female employment rates in the Netherlands are high, but more than half of Dutch women work part time, roughly three times the OECD average. Cultural attitudes play a role. Surveys show that many people believe mothers of young children should work no more than three days per week.

Access to affordable childcare, tax policies that reduce incentives for second earners to increase hours, and longstanding social norms all contribute to this pattern.

A cultural choice

For some, this is not a flaw but a feature. Many Dutch families consciously trade income for time. Higher taxes in the middle income range can make extra hours less financially attractive, reinforcing that choice.

Back in Amsterdam, De Wit believes a four-day week could even help sectors facing labour shortages, such as healthcare and education. Making roles more attractive might draw in workers who would otherwise stay away.

Ultimately, the debate comes down to values. Is economic expansion the highest goal, or is quality of life just as important?

The Netherlands has made its choice quietly. It has prioritised time, balance and flexibility, even if that means challenging conventional economic thinking. Whether that balance can be sustained in the face of ageing demographics and global competition remains an open question.

For now, many Dutch workers seem content with the trade-off. The real test will be whether the numbers continue to support the lifestyle.