De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) published survey findings suggesting that workers in the Netherlands spend around 20% of their working time on activities they do not consider part of their core tasks, with meetings and administrative duties accounting for most of that time. In the context of an ageing population and a tight labour market, the results highlight perceived scope to reorganise working hours to free up time for core work and potentially improve productivity. The share of non-core tasks varies by sector, with the median relatively high in education and the public sector and lower in retail and hospitality, alongside substantial within-sector dispersion. Healthcare shows a slightly lower reported share overall, but 50% of healthcare workers still say they spend too much time on non-core tasks, compared with 47% across all sectors. One-third of employees report that their organisation has a policy aimed at reducing such burdens, and perceptions differ accordingly: 58% report a high non-core task burden where no active policy exists versus 45% where explicit efforts are made. Workers point to fewer and shorter meetings and clearer internal agreements and processes as priority levers. DNB notes the findings are based on an August 2025 survey of around 1,500 workers via the LISS panel and reflect perceptions rather than prescriptive guidance or causal estimates of productivity effects; more detail is provided in its accompanying analysis (in Dutch).
De Nederlandsche Bank 2026-04-02
De Nederlandsche Bank survey finds Dutch workers spend a fifth of working hours on non-core tasks such as meetings and administrative duties
De Nederlandsche Bank published survey findings indicating that workers in the Netherlands spend around 20% of their working time on activities they do not view as core tasks, mainly meetings and administrative duties, suggesting scope to reorganise work to support productivity. The perceived burden of non-core tasks varies by sector and is reported as high by 58% of workers where no reduction policy exists versus 45% where such a policy is in place, with employees prioritising fewer and shorter meetings and clearer internal processes.