For many people worldwide, the pandemic has meant separation from work colleagues and family members.

Not so for the two families at the heart of Dutch crew agency Boers Crew Services, where nine relatives or partners make up about one-fifth of the staff roster.

Hans Boers (front), co-chief executive of Boers Crew Services, is pictured with family members. His son Kevin Boers (back left) is sales manager, daughter Jessica (front right) is an accounting executive, and her partner Niels van de Grift (back right) is a project manager. Photo: Boers

Hans Boers, co-chief executive, works with daughter and accounting executive Jessica and son Kevin, the Rotterdam company's sales manager.

Jessica's partner, with whom she has two sons, is project manager Niels van de Grift.

Then there is co-chief executive Peter Smit and his wife, Elles, who also works in accounting.

Their daughter Iris is in the marketing department and son Daan is another accountant at the company.

Hans Boers' sister Marjon is also on the payroll, as is her partner Hans van der Vall.

So what's it like sharing family life and working life?

Hans Boers told TradeWinds: "They are happy when it's the weekend!"

From 2007, Kevin Boers worked in the office at weekends for a few years while juggling his business informatics degree.

Since passing that, he has been full-time at Boers.

"For us it's a pleasure to work with each other, because we see each other so often," he said. "My friends see their parents less."

Too close?

But the sales manager added it is not all plain sailing.

"Sometimes it's good because you see each other often, but sometimes you also have these little discussions and you think maybe the discussions would be easier with somebody from outside who is not a family member," he said.

"But the upside is it makes the work nice to do because you work closely with your family."

Jessica Boers believes it is healthy that she, Kevin and Niels all work in different departments.

"You can still discuss things at night. 'What did you do today?' That's the difference, I think," she said. Jessica started with Boers in 2007 and Niels in 2010.

"While Niels joined the operational department, I've moved to the accounting department and human resources," she said.

Jessica was doing a teacher training course previously, but stopped after a year.

"Working in the holidays at the office, I thought maybe that's better and more fun," she told TradeWinds.