The 5 best and 5 worst countries for work-life balance—and American workers have it bad

Sadly, Americans are fresh out of luck. Surveying over 4,200 adults with full-time jobs from 22 different countries, Remity found that people living in the United States are subjected to some of the weakest work-life balances, alongside Australia, Ireland and Norway.

The online remittance service based in Seattle gauged how many hours respondents worked, the length of their commute, their sleep schedule, the length of their work day, and their overall level of work-life satisfaction. From there, the team ranked each country on a “Work Quality Score” out of 100. The U.S. received a score of just 36 and placed 19th out of the 22 countries that Remity ranked. 

While employees in the U.S. have, on average, lower commuting times than the other countries surveyed, once they’re in the office, they’re expected to work longer. Essentially, Americans are subjected to the longest average working day and it’s killing their work-life balance, according to the report.

The Finnish have the best work-life balance—and nearly an hour less work than Americans

For seven years now Finland has been crowned the happiest country in the world by the Happiness Report. It seems as if the Finns’ relationship with work aids their cheery mood.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Finland has the best work-life balance of all countries surveyed— receiving a score of 73 out of 100. 

Full-time employees have an average working day of seven hours and 44 minutes, almost an hour shorter than the United State’s eight hours and 29 minutes. Flexible policies and longer work breaks also fed into Finland’s high score.

The top five countries with the best work-life balance are as follows:

1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Switzerland
4. France 
5. New Zealand

And here are the five countries with the weakest work-life balance (with Austrlia taking the cake of the worst of the worst)

1. Australia
2. Norway
3. Ireland
4. United States
5. Hungary

Why workers in the United States find it almost impossible to unwind

Poor work-life balance can stoke burnout—or a feeling of exhaustion caused by chronic workplace stress, per the World Health Organization. Given that the phenomenon is caused by systemic issues at work, taking time off isn’t enough to stop the bleeding. A separate survey of more than 1,000 American employees found that 50% of workers feel more drained for at least a week after taking time off, with 14% reportedly making mistakes because they’re so exhausted..

During the pandemic, Americans’ fatigue entered the spotlight. Gen Zers and millennials gained a reputation for trying to detach from the rat race, reporting that work-life balance was one of their priorities when it came to finding a new gig. But it’s not just young employees who feel that way: more than half of Americans would be willing to take a 20% pay cut for a lifestyle that prioritizes their quality of life, according to a survey from car manufacturer Ford. And a whopping 77% of respondents said they prioritize a balanced personal life over achievements or growth at work.

Still, perhaps because the way of work has been so baked in or because they have a plethora of options at other companies, many Americans aren’t looking to leave the Land of Opportunity.

Almost a third (30%) of workers across the globe have considered moving in the next five years in search of a better quality of work. Funnily enough, the United States does not make the list of top 10 countries where workers were considering leaving. Instead Brazil, France, and Portugal top the sublist. It seems as though even if employees in the country are unhappy, they’re also not willing or able to leave, instead making do with the long-standing workaholic cultural norms.

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