Are the Dutch lazy?

[sasguru]

You know what they say:

The bitterness of low quality is not forgotten Nor can it be sweetened with low price.

Marquis De Lavant (1734)

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Might as well up your rates then.

[norrahe]

According to my German course, "In the US, people like to brag about the amount of hours they do, but in Germany, they brag about the amount they can get done in normal work hours". Which seems a much more sensible approach to me.

The US side of PermieCo always seem to be working long hours, and there's a bit of friction over the fact we generally don't. But as a software engineer, if you're knackered and producing buggy crap then it's going to cost far more money and time overall than if you get it right. I think the optimum is probably about 4-5 hours a day. I think I could get as much done if I could turn up and be focussed and concentrate for those 4-5 hours, and then go home, or do something else with the afternoon. But the world doesn't work that way.

The "long hours" mentality is becomign very common place in the city, often people will refrain from sending important e-mails during the day only to start sending them late at night.
Its frowned on if you come in and leave on time in a lot of companies.

The pressure is very much there to work long hours. Some people feel they are obliged to, and in turn have no social or family life as a result.
As someone posted some time ago, some companies will often go out of their way to employ people with certain "personality profiles", knowing full well they will work silly hours without question.

I find it refreshing to work in a country where the mindset is about quality of life and not about being seen to be hardworking.

[scooterscot]

You know what they say:

The bitterness of low quality is not forgotten Nor can it be sweetened with low price.

Marquis De Lavant (1734)


The yanks may work long hours and the far east may sell it cheap but quality is something I've not assumed when buying from those regions. Particularly consumer based product out of the US. Just awful experiences.

[VectraMan]

In the UK people like to be seen working longer hours, whether they actually do any work is another thing.

The Dutch keep very much to office hours but as Spacecadet says they get the work done. There is a better work/life balance over here, people value family time over work time.

According to my German course, "In the US, people like to brag about the amount of hours they do, but in Germany, they brag about the amount they can get done in normal work hours". Which seems a much more sensible approach to me.

The US side of PermieCo always seem to be working long hours, and there's a bit of friction over the fact we generally don't. But as a software engineer, if you're knackered and producing buggy crap then it's going to cost far more money and time overall than if you get it right. I think the optimum is probably about 4-5 hours a day. I think I could get as much done if I could turn up and be focussed and concentrate for those 4-5 hours, and then go home, or do something else with the afternoon. But the world doesn't work that way.

[EricBartlett]

Are stats misleading?

Yes - next

[AtW]

Can't speak for the Dutch but I am still in the office

[BrilloPad]

In the UK people like to be seen working longer hours, whether they actually do any work is another thing.

The Dutch keep very much to office hours but as Spacecadet says they get the work done. There is a better work/life balance over here, people value family time over work time.

It is interesting that some companies, particularly Amrican, seem to care more about the hours you do than what you achieve. Odd.

[norrahe]

In the UK people like to be seen working longer hours, whether they actually do any work is another thing.

The Dutch keep very much to office hours but as Spacecadet says they get the work done. There is a better work/life balance over here, people value family time over work time.

[Spacecadet]

OECD.Stat

So according to the OECD the Dutch worked the lowest annual hours in 2010. Are these stats misleading?

From my time working in The Netherlands I can testify that the dutch are in the office less but they work harder when they are at work.
Anyway, the whole point is moot, for most modern companies the important factor is outcome not how long someone spends at work

[BrilloPad]

OECD.Stat

So according to the OECD the Dutch worked the lowest annual hours in 2010. Are these stats misleading?