New Zealand was named the world’s greatest country for work-life balance, so you might not have to go far if you’re looking for a society that values work-life balance.
In order to evaluate the benefits and attitudes toward labor, 60 countries were assessed according to criteria like annual leave, work hours, and minimum wage. HR resourcing business Remote released the survey.
As it happens, Aotearoa plays as hard as it works. Crucially, yet it’s relatively easy.
“You’ll typically see it written the other way round (as ‘work-life balance’), but we consider this a miscalculation — the attitude should be life first, work second,” says the study’s authors Remote.
Although the top-ranked nations may provide a lower income potential, they provide chances and safeguards for workers’ time.
New Zealand is located in the “Goldilocks zone,” where overall happiness and average salary are both high.
“Our index revealed the island nation of New Zealand to be the country with the best life-work balance,” said the survey.
It topped prospective expats’ wish list because of its “heart-stopping scenery, rich Māori culture, and always-welcoming locals.” It helped that the second-highest minimum wage in the rankings was offered.
In contrast, the United States performed poorly, requiring 29.1 hours of work per week at a minimum wage of $7.25. It came up barely ahead of Iran at 52 out of 60 countries.
The US received a low score for inadequate workers’ rights, even if its happiness rating was comparatively high at 6.98. It was similarly difficult for American workers to obtain paid maternity and sick leave.
Six of the top ten “bon vivants” are from Europe, which topped the league. Australia was also mentioned, mostly because of its high minimum salary.
Switzerland ranked 34th in the world despite having substantial sick leave and one of Europe’s highest happiness ratings (7.51) due to its intense 31.6-hour work week.
Moving to Malaysia or Nigeria for long lunch breaks and a laid-back work culture was not the right decision. Despite having low minimum wages, these countries were found to have the hardest workers, with average work weeks exceeding forty hours.
