The Best And Worst Countries To Live For Work-Life Balance
When you work hard day in and day out at your job, you also want to have time to play hard, spend time with family, and enjoy some vacation days. However, some places make that balance a little easier to strike.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, these are the best—and worst—countries to live in for world-life balance (and honestly, I'm ready to pack my bags).
Best: Germany
Germany's labor policies are some of the best in the world. Full-time employees are offered up to three years of parental leave per child and a minimum of 24 paid vacation days annually. On average, Germans also tend to work overall shorter hours, with most full-time employees clocking 7-8 hours daily.
Worst: Colombia
Colombia's main industries are agriculture are mining; with a population of 49 million people, over 26% of employees work exceptionally long hours. The average Colombian works for 12 hours a day with many lower-wage employees working six days a week.
Best: Denmark
Denmark is continuously ranked top three by the UN for being the happiest country in the world, and there's a reason. Only 2% of the workforce reports working long hours, the average workweek consists of 37 hours, and there's a minimum of 25 days of vacation for workers annually. Despite working less, Denmark is the second-most productive country in Europe (after Ireland).
Worst: Mexico
Similar to Colombia, Mexican workers on average work a little less than 12 hours a day. The main industries in the country are agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing, meaning many people work grueling hours in manual labor jobs and have little free time for themselves.
Best: Sweden
Swedes seem to have the work hard, play hard mentality down. They report above-average satisfaction with several factors: 69% are happy with their work-life balance, and more than three-quarters (77%) are satisfied with their working hours. About 63% of the average full-time employee's day is devoted to personal time in Sweden.
Worst: Turkey
Turkey's main industries are in textiles and food processing. Though 32.6% of employees work exceptionally long hours, the average Turk has 14.8 hours of personal time a day and they know how to use it well: many use their spare time to socialize with friends and playing sports.
Best: Spain
Spain already boasts its traditional midday siesta, which allows citizens to rest in the middle of the workday and eat lunch with their families. Full-time Spanish employees receive a minimum of 22 paid vacation days annually. It's well known that the Spanish know how to party hard in the evenings, with the vibrant nightlife starting later than usual and ending at about 4 a.m.
Worst: South Korea
South Korea has a vibrant society with strong influences on pop culture on a global scale, but many citizens work long hours in electronics developments, manufacturing, and telecommunications. Still, outside of work, full-time employees say they have more than half a day for their personal pursuits.
Best: Belgium
Belgium has more than just waffles and beer: it also boasts a good average work-life balance. Only 4.8% of employees report working long hours and workers average 15.7 hours of personal time daily. By law, employers cannot exceed a 40-hour workweek for employees.
Worst: Japan
A strong value in Japanese culture is a good work ethic. The working hours in Japan differ vastly based on industry, from fishing to financial services and tech. However, 17.9% of the workforce is working extra-long hours; full-time workers have about 14 hours a day on average for hobbies and activities outside of their jobs.
Best: Norway
According to the Human Development Index, Norway ranks number one for overall equality, and Norwegians tend to have high job security. Full-time employees average a 6.8-hour workday, leaving much of the day open for personal endeavors and leisure activities.
Worst: Israel
In Israel, which has industries focused on communications and tech, the average workweek consists of 8.6-hour days and all Israeli employees with a five-day workweek are entitled to a minimum of 12 paid vacation days. While almost 16% of the workforce reports being on the job for long hours, there's generally a cultural attitude that encourages leisure time.
Best: France
In France, the minimum amount of vacation time for full-time employees is five weeks (25 business days) and, while overtime work does occur, the average workweek contains only 35 hours. On an average day, French workers have 16.7 hours of leisure time to themselves.
Worst: Chile
With its main industries reliant on manual labor, work is often grueling for its citizens. The average member of the workforce is putting in 11.7 hours a day, but all citizens are entitled to 15 days of vacation time annually.
Best: The Netherlands
In the Netherlands, only 0.5% of workers report working long hours compared to the global average of 12%. They've also looked to build a more sustainable community with many choosing to bike rather than use cars or buses, which has helped not only the environment, but also their physical fitness.
Worst: Iceland
Iceland's main industries are tourism, fishing, and energy, and about 15% of employees report working exceptionally long hours and generally have less personal leisure time. However, despite these conditions, Icelanders rated their general life satisfaction above the global average.
Best: Ireland
In Ireland, only 5% of citizens report working long hours, and citizens have over 15 hours of personal time daily. Over 70% of the workforce report positive job satisfaction. Over the past ten years, in an attempt to retain domestic talent, many employers have implemented more job perks like flexible working hours and a national minimum of 20 paid vacation days annually.
Worst: South Africa
With an employment rate just under 29%, 15% of the workforce reporting that they work exceptionally long hours, and with lots of jobs in manual labor, South Africa is not exactly the easiest place to work. Eating, sleeping, socializing and hobbies take up 62% of the day for the average full-time employee in South Africa.
Best: Finland
Finland has one of the best work-life balances in Europe, with the average worker having a 7.3-hour work week and having 8 hours of personal leisure time (apart from sleep) on the average workday.
Worst: Australia
Maybe everything isn't all great in the land down-under. While the average workday is 8 hours long, Australian workers report low levels of job satisfaction due to long commute times—the average employee spends 4.5 hours per week commuting for work—leaving less leisure time for themselves.
