'I moved to this country a 90-minute flight from the UK - I'll never return'

A woman who moved to the Netherlands said she's never coming back to the UK (Image: Getty)

The concept of a  four-day working week has been a hot topic in the UK in recent months. Several councils, including South Cambridgeshire District Council, have trialled the idea to much acclaim, but it has yet to be implemented nationwide.

In contrast, other countries, such as the Netherlands, have embraced the idea more readily. This is a country where an increasing number of Britons have relocated in recent years, enjoying the benefits of life in this  European nation.

One such individual is Hannah (her name has been changed), a project manager for a fashion company and mother to two young children. Having lived in the Netherlands for the past 15 years, she has no plans to return to the UK.

Speaking to the i, Hannah explained: "I can't imagine ever going back to work in the UK. We all work hard, we meet our targets, and there's a culture of freedom and trust in the workplace that pays off. I don't know anyone who's lazy or taking the mickey. You treat people like grown-ups, and you get grown-ups."

Hannah said the UK's work culture is very different to the Dutch way of working (Image: Getty)

Hannah added that she felt like the UK's present work culture didn't help either: "In the UK you feel this pressure to optimise every minute – in the Netherlands, you're there to do the job, not to care about how it looks. 5pm means 5pm. The office cleaners arrive, the lights go off, and people go home to their families."

Ravi, another British expat who has lived in Amsterdam for nearly a decade, echoed Hannah's praise for the Dutch way of life.

He stated: "What drew us to Holland was the lifestyle – we reckoned it would give us another ten hours together every week. Here you don't live to work, you work to live – it's life over career, every time.

"But that certainly doesn't mean people don't take work seriously – in fact they take it more seriously, because they know how important their family time is and they know it's all about balance."

The Netherlands has a four-day week, but it isn't a mandatory policy (stock) (Image: Getty)

Ravi and Hannah are not alone in their move from Britain. Jennie Mono, from Scotland, relocated to Amsterdam following a job promotion in 2007 and has lived there ever since.

In an interview with DutchNews, she expressed her intention to stay in the Netherlands until retirement.

She elaborated: "What has kept me here though is that I just love it, to be honest. I absolutely love my life here in Amsterdam. I don't know if it's a completely Dutch life, but it's a very nice life. I've been here for 17 years, and I'm going to stay for quite a while.

"I can't imagine that I'll retire in the Netherlands because I can't imagine being in a nursing home speaking poor Dutch. So I'll probably go back to the UK eventually, but not for some time yet."