One third of Dutch workers say they would rather have extra holidays than more pay, according to new research by trade union federation CNV.

‘Many people feel over-worked and want to spend more time with their children, do voluntary work or take care of elderly relatives,’ union chairman Piet Fortuin told the Financieele Dagblad. ‘And two in five feel they are being squeezed between work, their private lives and other obligations.’

The CNV has campaigned for a standard 30 hour working week for years. Even though this would be difficult to implement because of the current shortage of staff ‘we are working towards a new jobs market in which the balance between work and home is becoming more important,’ Fortuin told the paper.

Almost 50% of those in the CNV survey said they would like to save up their sabbatical entitlement to reduce their working week by a day or to retire early. Three in five people working in the care services would like to stop working before the official retirement age.

Many pay and conditions agreements give workers the right to save up holiday entitlement, including those at Shell, the police, hospitals and civil service.