In the age of hybrid work, when personal and professional worlds are increasingly blurring, work-life balance has become crucial. Although there are options of hybrid and remote work, the increasing stress of work-life balance is taking a toll on individuals.
According to a Randstad survey, 57 percent of employees would not take a job that would disrupt their ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance, including flexible work arrangements like working from home. This underscores the critical need for people to find a balance between their personal and professional lives.
Let’s take a look at some of the countries in the world that provide the best work-life balance, according to Remote.
New Zealand (Index score: 80.76/100)
New Zealand holds the top spot in the list. Backed by a strong economy, New Zealand’s working culture is considered relax, but the country’s workforce is equally characterized by its ‘can-do’ Kiwi attitude and emphasis on open communication and self-reliance. The country also boasts some of the world’s most stunning scenery (an obvious draw for anyone planning to relocate), but it also offers a high minimum wage along with a generous annual leave entitlement of 32 days. Additionally, New Zealand scores well on the ‘happiness index’ and is considered one of the safest countries to live and work.
Ireland (Index score: 77.89/100)
Backed by a universal government-funded healthcare system, Ireland also offers one of the highest minimum wages in the list. This country of just over five million people is also considered one of the safest in the world. The global perception of the Irish is that they tend to be warm, friendly and casual, and this attitude generally extends to the workplace. Hierarchy is not typically seen as overly important, and it’s common for work colleagues to socialize together. Family values also play an important role in Irish culture.
Belgium (Index score: 73.45/100)
Belgium achieves its high 2024 ranking thanks in part to an update in its sickness policies. While individual attitudes vary, Belgians tend to subscribe to the ‘work to live’ mantra rather than the other way around, rarely letting the two mix. The country scores well in several categories, such as rate of pay (its minimum wage is among the highest in Europe) and average hours worked per week, which at 35 is below the average of the countries included in our index.
Denmark (Index score: 73.45/100)
Denmark is considered the world’s second-happiest nation according to the World Happiness Report. The Danes’ contentment must surely be somewhat down to their healthy attitude to life and work — only 2 percent of Danish employees work ‘very long hours’ according to OECD data, reflected by a shorter-than-average working week of 33.91 hours. Denmark also offers a generous statutory annual leave entitlement (35 days), while it adopts one of the world’s most parent-friendly leave policies.
Canada (Index score: 72.75/100)
The world’s second-largest country by area (and considered one of the most breathtakingly scenic), Canada ranks highly primarily due to having one of the shortest average working weeks (the average Canadian works 32.1 hours, fewer than all but three countries analyzed) while also being considered one of the safest countries. The Canadians are well ahead of their neighbors in the U.S. (with whom they share the world’s longest international border) in terms of their attitude toward work, with Canadian working culture tending to be professional but inclusive.
Germany (Index score: 71.84/100)
Germany has long been associated with productivity and efficiency. It is true that many German companies value factors such as punctuality and precision. However, there is also a strong emphasis on keeping life and work quite separate. Germany’s strong position owes in part to its generous rate of pay, with its minimum wage of $14.68 (USD equivalent) the highest of any European country on the list. The country operates a combined public/private health insurance system, and the number of hours worked per employee is lower than average at 34.24 hours a week.
Finland (Index score: 71.55/100)
Finland could well be renamed ‘Funland’ given that the Finns are consistently named the happiest people in the world. Their society has developed an ‘infrastructure of happiness’ — a system encompassing a strong education system, access to high-quality healthcare, a robust economy, and a commitment to human rights, among other factors. But this happiness is surely also influenced by the working culture in Finland, with a strong emphasis on life-work balance underpinned by a generous amount of statutory annual leave (36 days) and a shorter-than-average working week (34.43 hours).
Australia (Index score: 71.35/100)
It’s hard not to value time spent outside work when you are blessed with almost year-round sunshine, so it’s not surprising to see Australia in the top 10 list. But it isn’t all about the country’s favorable climate, laid-back culture and stunning scenery. For one thing, the country comfortably offers the highest minimum wage ($17.47 USD equivalent) of any nation in the list, with Australians among the highest-paid employees in the world. They also enjoy one of the shortest working weeks on average, clocking up just over 32 hours per week.
Norway (Index score: 70.85/100)
Norway is certainly an attractive destination for young families or those planning to have children and looking to relocate. This isn’t the only reason for its high standing here, though. In addition to offering 35 days of statutory annual leave, Norwegians rarely work long hours and rank among the happiest nations in the world.
Spain (Index score: 70.6/100)
A recent survey found that around one in six Spaniards still take a long post-lunch break at least four times a week. Whether or not Spanish employees opt for a siesta during the afternoon, they are still encouraged to take ample time off, with Spain having one of the most generous statutory leave entitlements (36 days a year) in Europe. The country’s parental leave policies also mark it as one of the most parent-friendly.