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← Organisations & Alliance

For companies & employers

Being strong is not a job requirement

Many men feel at work that they must not let anything show: no doubt, no asking for help, no saying it is getting too much. That unwritten rule costs them something, but it costs their colleagues and organisations too. Tackling it early means working on the cause instead of the consequences.

The business case in brief

You are already paying.

What it costs

€4.9 bnof the €8.3 bn that employers lose to work-related sickness absence comes from psychosocial workload: work pressure, conflict and harassment, among other things.TNO Arbobalans 2024

Long-term absence

75%of absence due to mental health complaints, overstrain and burnout is partly or mainly work-related. Such absence lasts on average 63 working days.TNO Arbobalans 2024

Young men

23%of young men (aged 18 to 34) had burnout symptoms in 2022. In 2015 that was 13.1%.TNO, Van Veen et al. (2023)

The norm

3 in 4of men do not endorse the restrictive Man Box norm, yet 36 per cent do feel the pressure to live up to it. Australian research; the Alliance wants to commission the first Dutch measurement.Jesuit Social Services, The Man Box (2024)

For employers

What is it already costing your organisation?

Part of your absenteeism comes from workload and the way people treat each other, and as an employer you can influence that part. Enter your own figures and see how much money is involved.

The cost indicator

1. Your staff costs from absence and turnover, based on your own figures€ 1,800,000
2. Against your sector. Your absence rate is about 6.1%, the sector average is 5.4%. The part above that average cannot be put down to your sector. What it is down to differs per organisation.€ 118,500
3. The part that can be influenced. More than half of the cost of work-related absence comes from work pressure, conflict and unwanted behaviour (TNO). This is the pool that culture touches.€ 619,500
4. A worked example. Suppose a healthier culture reduced that movable part by 5% . That percentage is an assumption you set yourself, not a measured effect.€ 30,975
How we calculate

An indication, not proof. Steps 1 to 3 use your own figures and national averages (CBS absence rates per sector, TNO/NEA for the psychosocial share). Absence and turnover have many causes; we do not claim that masculinity norms cause these costs. Step 4 is an assumption you set yourself: how much a culture programme reduces absence cannot be derived from research.

Would you like these figures translated to your organisation? Request the business case →

What it delivers

This is investing before things go wrong, together with other employers, and it pays off in three places.

Health

Men who feel they must solve everything alone suffer more often from depression and anxiety and seek help less often. Where asking for help is normal, fewer people drop out: healthier people, lower costs.

Productivity

The norm of the always-available employee can lead to burnout and people who quietly disengage. Anyone who does not have to look strong all the time has more energy left for the work itself. And where you can say in time that you are not coping, teams work together better.

Safety

Where men do not constantly have to prove themselves, people are quicker to report a mistake or say that something is not right. That makes the workplace safer and fits what the law already asks: a policy against psychosocial workload.

It also helps you keep people. In workplaces where men constantly have to prove themselves, employees think about leaving more often. That matters even more with young employees, among whom burnout symptoms have risen sharply in recent years. What each departure costs you, you can work out in the cost indicator above.

Alliance partner

Become a partner in the Alliance.

Everyone mops, no one turns off the tap. In the Alliance, employers, government, education and researchers tackle it together. You will get ready-made material for your own organisation: video, social posts, workshops, all based on research. And you learn from other employers doing the same.

The Alliance is being built. What is listed below, we develop together with the first partners. Whoever joins now helps decide what comes and is the first to use it. A talk or session at your organisation is already possible today.

FoundingTier 1Strategic founding partnersthe directors
By arrangementcontribution

Large national corporates that help set the course.

  • A seat on the steering group: you help decide the course and the strategic multi-year plan
  • Access to the data and behavioural measurements
  • First access to the full set of materials for your own audience
Request this level →
Tier 2Alliance partnersthe scalers
From € 20,000per year

National organisations and larger employers that want to roll out the approach at scale.

  • Full access to the annual plug-and-play toolkits
  • Insights per target group, so your approach fits
  • Participation in the national network
Request this level →
Tier 3Network partnersthe ecosystem
From € 2,500per year

SMEs and regional employers.

  • Use of the core materials through the portal
  • Participation in national theme days
  • A place in the movement: meet other employers and learn from their approach
Request this level →

For the start-up and the first year we are looking for around 10 to 12 founding partners. How the Alliance works and the eight phases of the approach are explained on the overview page.

Rather start small? You can also take part without a partnership.

Taking part without a partnership

01 Take it up internally Spread the message inside your organisation. We provide a talk, session or workshop tailored to you. Request a talk or session → 02 Donate money or resources Make the launch and the scale-up possible. From a financial contribution to media, space, people or expertise, anything that moves the movement forward counts. Discuss a contribution →

Another question, or want to get acquainted first? Tell us briefly who you are and what you are looking for. We will set up a conversation and think along with you. Ask your question →

Looking for a cause that fits your CSR or ESG policy: this sits in the social pillar, the ‘S’ of safety, equality and wellbeing, and connects to SDG 5. What sets it apart is that it is prevention rather than aftercare. The Nami Foundation (Stichting Nami) has applied for ANBI status; until it is granted, gifts are not tax-deductible, and we would rather say so up front.

Every figure on this page is listed with its source and caveats on the evidence page.