One in seven employees hindered by administrative chores

Results of the Dutch National Survey on Working Conditions carried out in the fall of 2010 by TNO and Statistics Netherlands show that over 15 percent of all employees was hindered in their work by unnecessary administration. Many employees also see poorly performing colleagues as a major obstruction. Apart from these issues in the work place, transport problems regularly hinder people in their work.

More than one in seven employees indicated that unnecessary administrative chores hindered them in their work. Poorly performing colleagues are also high on the list (14 percent). The most frequently cited obstructions outside the work place were transport problems such as traffic jams and delays in public transport (17 percent). Relatively few employees indicated that personal circumstances such as care, personal health and lifestyle were obstructive. Fewer than 6 percent of the employees indicated that these were at least weekly obstructions in their work.

In general government and in education unnecessary administration was cited most often. In 2010 nearly a quarter of the employees in these sectors indicated that this hindered their work at least weekly. Unnecessary administration is also cited most by employees in health care and social work. Transport problems are cited most in the transport and communication sector, construction and business and financial services. Poorly performing colleagues are most frequently mentioned as an obstruction in hotels and restaurants, manufacturing and trade.

Men experience more obstructions than women, mainly in the form of unnecessary meetings and transport problems. Men report either problem twice as often as women. Men and women experience personal health and care for others to the same extent. In comparison with other employees young people are confronted less by unnecessary administration and meetings. Reduced motivation and lifestyle play a larger role for them. Employees aged 55 and older reported that they are relatively often hindered in their work by their own health and by care for others.
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For further information please contact:
Ellen Jansen (TNO), tel. +3188 866 51 99, email: Ellen.Jansen@tno.nl
Peter Hein van Mulligen (CBS), tel. +3170 337 44 44, email: persdienst@cbs.nl