Clare Steyn, 39, an administrative assistant at KPN, the Dutch telecommunications giant, lives and works in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. Placed in her job by the international recruitment firm Vedior, she works in a team of 30, updating an online database of corporate clients.

“Working life is very relaxed here and you are very much judged on what you actually achieve, rather than how many hours you work,” she says. “I choose to do 40 hours a week, with an hour for lunch, often at the onsite cafeteria, but I could do 32 hours if I wanted.

“You can begin work at any time from 7.30am to 9.30am, but as long as you do your agreed weekly hours, the times are flexible.

“I earn €1,300 (£1,000) a month, plus €300 for travel, which I am happy with, given that I can live fairly frugally here.

“Business suits are the exception, even among senior people, and it’s quite usual for managers as well as support staff to have a radio next to them while they work. It may be music or even football, but as long as other people are not disturbed, nobody minds.

“Fathers of young children are given one day off a week at KPN — loosely translated as ‘Daddy Day’ — and this is specifically designed to allow them to spend more time with their kids. It’s a nice idea, but I can’t imagine it happening in London.

“Most of my colleagues are Dutch and although they all speak perfect English, I have a good knowledge of the language and I enjoy using it.

My job would be very hard without some knowledge of Dutch.

“This is a fairly crowded country, with limited access to green space. As a result, all the park areas are well kept and well used. Being outdoors is important to the Dutch and there are bicycles everywhere.

“My work here is on a project basis and will be finished in a few months. My husband and I will sail our boat to Finland and perhaps Norway for the summer, then we will come back and start looking for work again.”

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