The cabinet wants to make it easier to combine work with caregiving responsibilities for, for example, children or relatives. Due to the aging population and the shortage of personnel, more caregiving tasks are being placed on people, increasing the pressure to work more hours. According to the cabinet, flexibility at work is needed to combine this, people must be able to make choices without falling into financial trouble, and the government must provide good support in the busyness of life. This is written by Minister Van Hijum of Social Affairs and Employment in a letter to the House.

Minister Van Hijum: “Dutch people are busy. Hard work is being done, but besides that, we have many more activities and obligations in life. The children need to go to school, the household needs to be managed, you have to attend a meeting at the soccer club, and your parents may need informal care. In light of demographic developments and the tight labor market, we want to make it as easy as possible for people to combine work and care. Employers must give their employees the space to do so. Fortunately, this often happens already, sometimes even during working hours. And the government must adjust various regulations to ensure sufficient support.”

Both partners work

In the past ten years, the number of couples where both partners work part-time has nearly doubled. In the Netherlands, relatively many people work part-time, but at the same time, the number of hours worked per household is higher than in other European countries. There seems to be a slow shift from a dual-income model to a model where both partners work approximately equally, whether or not part-time.

Supporting families

To improve support for the combination of work and private life, the cabinet is working on simplifying the leave system. After the summer, a bill will be proposed to regulate this. The aim is to make taking leave simpler, more understandable, and more accessible for individuals and employers. Additionally, many people indicate that the affordability and availability of childcare is a significant barrier. Therefore, the cabinet is working on making childcare cheaper and is trying to reduce the staff shortage in the sector.

Combining work and care

The cabinet sees many good examples of combining work and private life. But it also definitely sees room for improvement. The cabinet encourages workers and employers to continue the conversation about this. At work, for example, about flexible working hours, telecommuting, or workplace facilities such as nursing rooms. But also at the kitchen table about task distribution and mental load.

Financial security

The cabinet also wants people to experience financial security when making choices about how to allocate their time. Thus, work is being done on more affordable housing and more security in the labor market. Additionally, the cabinet wants to make work more rewarding, combat poverty, and simplify the income support system.