More Netherlands residents struggling to balance work and private life: trade union
More and more Netherlands residents are struggling to combine their work and private life. Almost half regularly have trouble with this balancing act and a quarter feel on the verge of a burn-out as a result, CNV found in a survey of almost 2,600 members.
Just over half of respondents said their job causes a high psychological burden. A third said they struggle with symptoms as a result. A sixth reported suffering from a work-related trauma.
The results are “alarming,” CNV chairman Piet Fortuin told the Telegraaf. “The need appears to be even greater than we thought. People feel like they are constantly performing a balancing act. In the meantime, they notice that the workload is still increasing. 64 percent say that it is now even higher than last year.”
CNV had hoped that the slower economy would result in less work pressure. “But the opposite is the case. Companies are hesitant to hire more people. They are also more likely to pause when hiring temporary workers. Our members notice this on the work floor,” Fortuin said.
A recent study by the insurer Nationale Nederlanden also found that more people are sick at home with mental health complaints. Last year, sick leave in the Netherlands cost more than 23 billion euros. Psychological absenteeism was responsible for over 8 percent of that amount.
