Higher pay, enjoyable tasks, work-from-home entices workers to put in more hours: DNB

Employers can address some of their staff shortages by offering their part-time workers more pay, more exciting work, and the option to work from home, the DNB found in a study into what would convince part-time workers to work more hours. There are also some lower-hanging fruit: 11% percent said they’d consider more hours if their employers asked them to.

The Dutch central bank surveyed 1,300 workers to find out why people work part-time and what would encourage them to work more. A quarter of respondents said they’d work more hours if they got a higher salary. Another 10 percent said that higher wages weren’t the main reason they’d work more but do play a role.

Ten percent said they’d work more hours if their jobs were more enjoyable or challenging, and another 10 percent said they’d put in extra time if they could work from home. Good and affordable childcare would also get more parents to spend more time on work.

When asked why they didn’t work full-time, 21 percent said it was because they had to care for their children or grandchildren. Fourteen percent said it was because they wanted more free time, and 13 percent said it was due to their health. Eleven percent said working full-time does not yield enough financially, and 22 percent said they didn’t need the extra income.

“The survey shows that childcare can be an obstacle for parents to work more hours,” the DNB said. From that perspective, the government’s plan to make childcare basically free is a good step, according to the central bank.