Having a work-life balance is one of the most critical issues in many countries. To have a content life, we need to fulfill both: our personal and career ambitions. Therefore, each one of us has a delicate balance to keep when it comes to family versus work life.
The Importance of Work-Life Balance
Our modern life has facilitated a lot of daily tasks. At the other end of the spectrum, it equally complicated so many things. One of these basic areas is spending more time with loved ones. However, noticing the problem is the first step in solving it. This is in fact what many nations are striving to achieve.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD has taken charge in collating the exact data for this subject. More than 100 countries have contributed in the study. Moreover, sentimental information were collected through surveys and polls from Gallup World Poll.
Additionally, the World Economic Forum has also conducted its dedicated studies in this area. These studies tend to look at countries that have a “Better Life Index” .
Consequently, 7 countries emerged as having taken the lead in the area of work life balance. Here they are:
7. Norway
This country is a leader when it comes to planning for the future. Norway is an oil rich country, however it did an outstanding job is safeguarding the earnings of this black gold. A dedicated fund preserves all the income for future generations.
Therefore, you can expect Norway to have one of the highest quality of life standards for its population. As the human asset is very important to the country’s officials and ranks very high on their agenda. Consequently, Norwegians maintain a great work-life balance. Moreover, Norway strives to maintain the sustainability of our planet as a whole through Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
6. Sweden
Another Scandinavian neighbor who fairs similar to Norway in many aspects. Moreover, these two fellow nations have established great measures to safeguard gender equality. Speaking of which, men also have similar paternal rights compared to their female colleagues when having a newborn. So, gender equality is accelerating in both lanes here. No wonder Sweden is a pioneer for such rights.
Consequently, with deliberate planning and thoughtful actions, Sweden becomes one of the leaders in the area of work-life balance.
5. Belgium
Fries and waffles could be a signature for this country, but surely work- life balance tops them off. Many Belgians enjoy working from the comfort of their homes most days of the week. However, they only visit the office for absolute necessity.
Moreover, the law stipulates working condition to be at a maximum of 40 hours per week. Therefore, many other countries look at Belgium’s high standards for work-life balance.
4. Spain
The country of Tapas and Seistas should not surprise you as having one of the best work-life balance standards. As a matter of fact employees in Spain are among the most satisfied work-force globally. This of course differs from region to region, but it has a high overall score.
3. France and Denmark
This tie is surely reflected in the culture of both nations. Although they differ in some areas, as France might have a Latin culture that intensifies in its southern coasts, Denmark is more of a Scandinavian-Nordic culture.
2. Italy
A magical place like Italy is surely to make a place at the top of the list of work-life balance countries. Even if you work hard, the settings will surely net off any negativity during your work day.
It is worth mentioning that many graduates in Southern Italy face challenges finding work. However, when they do find jobs, which happens to be in Northern Italy, they always report high levels of satisfaction.
Honorable Mentions:
Costa Rica
An ecoutourism hotspot respecting nature’s rights will surely respect that of humans. Many locals and expats are delighted to work in Costa Rica. They state that the country is one of the best in terms of work-life balance.
Bahrain
Many expats call this tiny gulf nation their sweet home. It has many reasons to deserve this title. Starting with the friendly and forward thinking locals, these people will surely form a lifelong friendships with foreigners.
Moreover, the government has put in place many laws to safeguard peoples’ rights including those of employment. Also the country’s name in Arabic translates as “Two Seas”, so being surrounded by water can do wonders for the quality of life.
Perfect Entrepreneurs Nations in Our Honorable Mentions List
Singapore
It may have the reputation of being a work-centric place. However, everything is organized here till the minute details. Consequently, life is organized as well to maintain a careful balance for everyone.
Singapore has established itself as an icon for free economy and ease of doing business around the world. Consequently, it became a rich country in terms of sourcing in the best global talents. Singapore attracts people with its charming Asian atmosphere that is infused with Western standards, a reminisce of the British presence.
New Zealand
The land of the Kiwis has always been a target for many expats. It is the go-to place for most westerners who were seeking adventure in the 70s and 80s.
However, it continued to attract more people and especially recently. As the country has positioned itself as a token for a healthy lifestyle nation. Many elderly expats state that they find living in New Zealand a delightful experience after serving many years in corporate rat races.
Nature is found in abundance here, and so is the beach. Therefore, morning hikes are very common as well as an afternoon beach dip. Heart rates are significantly calm here due to these reasons. Moreover, the locals are exceptionally heart-warming and pleasant to be around.
1. Netherlands
By far, the country of The Netherlands always seems to exceed expectations in many areas, let alone in work-life balance. This unique nation is almost unanimous in all reports, as spearheading other countries in this area.
People of all age groups seem content here. Where roughly 0.5 % of the employees work long hours according to the OECD report. This is a diminished figure in comparison to other industrialized or even emerging nations around the globe. Therefore, it is easy to see that in the lifestyle of the Dutch and their families.
Controversies around Work-Life Balance Countries Reports
The findings are concrete and the evidence is documented via numbers. However, some skeptics might argue that to have a fulfilled life, it is rather a sentimental thing than being a numerical value. This goes hand in hand with the happiness report .
The latter measures the content about life in general. This is where debates kick in, as happiness is related to many cultural and traditional notions. Some people might be happy despite being financially deprived of the very basic needs.
Nonetheless, the reports are still there to try as much as possible to jot down our emotions and compare them globally and historically. This might be the closest thing to reality and quantifying our needs and wants. However and most importantly, it helps in enhancing our desires to have a more fulfilling world to all of us.
