Quarter in Dutch healthcare see work as 'traumatic': report

More than four in every five employees in Dutch healthcare and welfare feel they are being overworked as a result of the burden placed on their sector by the Covid-19 crisis, with one in four even describing their work experience as being "traumatic". This was revealed by the findings of a survey by the television program Hollandse Zaken in collaboration with the trade association FNV on Saturday.

The study, which surveyed 6,600 employees at hospitals and other care institutions across the Netherlands, found that as many as 85 percent of employees feel overburdened as a result of Covid-19, with more than a quarter saying that they are considering working less or even quitting their jobs altogether.

In addition, the study revealed a "yearning for real appreciation" among healthcare workers, with the national applause campaign in March largely being seen as insufficient. Instead, according to a full 88 percent of healthcare workers, a higher salary would be a more adequate solution, with three-quarters (74 percent) agreeing that bonuses should increase from 1,000 euros to 1,850 euros.

According to FNV Vice-President Kitty Jong, a hot fall will make working conditions even harder for healthcare workers, asserting that bonuses should be raised as a result. However, according to her, more will need to be done in order to improve working conditions under the new burden of Covid-19.

"Nowadays, many healthcare workers experience not so much applause, but rather a raised middle finger, especially from politics," said Jong.