Sustainable employment: Still considerable work to be done

On February 11, 2015, the report, Supply of Labour 2014 was published by the Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP). Various media, including Nu.nl and the Telegraaf, summarised the study under the headline “growth of multiple jobs.” However, the study also deals with the broader theme of sustainable employment.

According to the research paper, sustainable employment encompasses three areas: labour mobility, training and a healthy workplace. With sustainable employment the government wants people to work till their retirement or pension. Of course, the question to ask oneself, is sustainable employment limited to just these three areas? As observed by SCP, “the cause of absence at work is more and more related to work as well as private matters.” Also, SCP’s data shows that more (work) training does not lead to more labour mobility.

According to HR4Growth, sustainable employment can be best approached (with a big picture in mind) with the objective of specific solutions for each employee. This sounds complex, but it can be addressed in an easy and effective way through a “one-stop shop” offering support for various issues at work and at home. An example of this approach is the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). The EAP gives special attention to employees who want professional support not only for work-related issues but also financial advice or personal coaching.

Employment can come in myriad combinations – multiple paid jobs and a person who has paid employment and works as an independent contractor (ZZP). Another combination is that a person has permanent work and cares for his or her relatives or friends (mantelzorg). According to figures by SCP, people who fall in the last category have grown from 13% to 17% in the period of 2004 to 2012. EAP can also support employees with mantelzorg responsibilities in restoring their work-life balance.

Joris van Goudoever
Director for HR4Growth and EAP Associate of Ascender