Inspiration

These Countries Have the Best Work-Life Balance in Europe

What is this "work-life balance" you speak of? Does that mean vacation? Hey, America, we can do better—just look at the Europeans. According to a recent study by TotallyMoney, a U.K.-based credit comparison website, Scandinavian countries consistently earn top marks for work-life balance, followed by other countries across the continent. Taking into consideration factors like average hours worked per day, time devoted to play, and total bank holidays, here are the 10 best countries for those looking to inject a little more leisure into their lives. Counting down...
  • Image may contain Path Walkway City Urban Road Town Building Street Human Person Sidewalk Pavement and Vehicle
    Getty

    Belgium

    Feel like your work seeps into your personal life way too much? Maybe you should a) get in line, and b) move to Belgium. Workers here enjoy an average of 8.6 hours of leisure per day—which trumps their 7.4-hour work days. Locals really value quality family time, getting home in time for dinner each night and taking a full month-long vacation over the summer to coincide with school breaks.

  • Getty

    Austria

    Many offices in Austria have an 8–5 workday—except for Fridays, when employees are encouraged to go home at 3 p.m. Neverending "summer Fridays" aside, the country is also one of the best in the world for folks looking to relocate; according to a recent study, 80 percent of expats in Austria said their work-life balance improved since moving there (compared to the 53 percent global average). We imagine those epic Alpine views maaaybe helped tip the scales.

  • Getty

    Germany

    The German government has several regulations in place to make sure its citizens don't overwork themselves. ("You will have fun!") Their shop closing law (or Ladenschlussgesetz) strictly regulates when stores open and close each day, with most places shutting down around 6 p.m. and not opening at all on Sundays. And the work-hour regulations (Arbeitszeitgesetz) say you can't put in more than 48 hours a week—or work Sundays or national holidays.

  • Getty

    Luxembourg

    Working on Sundays is outlawed in Luxembourg (exceptions include maintenance and security jobs), which is a government restriction we can totally get behind. The country also scores well in the sleep and vacation departments, with citizens getting an average of 7.2 hours of shuteye per night and a minimum of five weeks paid annual leave—in addition to national holidays.

Trending Stories
  • Getty

    Spain

    A country with early afternoon siestas has that whole work-life thing down (naps are proven to increase productivity, btw). If you need another reason to find employment in Spain, how does an annual vacation allowance of 30 days sound?

  • Getty

    France

    Tied with Spain, the country spends the most time—9.3 hours per day—devoted to leisure and relaxation. Perhaps that's why cafes seem perpetually full of blissful people with cigarettes or drinks? In 2017, France also introduced a law that allows workers the "right to disconnect" from after-hours work emails.

Trending Stories
  • Getty

    Finland

    At first glance, work hours in Finland look pretty similar to those in the United States: Monday through Friday, 8–5. The catch? Their lunch breaks are one to two hours long (perhaps reindeer meat takes longer to digest?). Don't forget that this nation gave its citizens four "Nature Days" to celebrate its 100th birthday outside, so it clearly has something figured out.

  • Getty

    Netherlands

    Although the Netherlands only give workers nine bank holidays per year, they compensate with the shortest work week of all the countries surveyed (30.3 hours!). Add to that 20 annual vacation days and extremely generous parental leave policies, and you'll wonder how anyone gets anything done. (We're kidding! It sounds wonderful.)

Trending Stories
  • Getty

    Sweden

    We’ve been envious of the Swedes for a while now, and their work lives are one of the main reasons. First there's fika, a late-morning coffee paired with pastries that offices pause to enjoy every day around 11 a.m. That tradition, paired with 16 months of paid family leave and a whopping 14 bank holidays per year, helped earn the country the no. 2 spot on the list.

  • Getty

    Denmark

    Denmark balances salary against cost of living well, and average daily work hours (6.6 per day) way outnumber leisure hours (8.8 per day). No surprise there—this is the home country of hygge, after all. According to U.S. News & World Report, this is also the best country in the world for raising children. Both mothers and fathers are entitled to 23 weeks of parental leave, plus mothers get an extra four weeks of leave before the expected due date.

TopicsBusiness Travel