Work-life balance: it’s a term that’s talked about so frequently that you might be tempted to think it’s something that U.S. workers have cornered the market on.
You’d be wrong.
Despite desiring work-life balance, it’s European workers who get to experience it much more, not Americans, according to the MSN article, “13 Cities with the Best Work-Life Balance in the World.”
Expert Market, an online B2B marketplace, used data from Swiss banking group UBS to determine which workers get work-life balance—and which ones don’t. Results were calculated based on how many hours weekly (and yearly) people worked, in addition to how many vacation days they take.
The 13 cities that made the list are all in Europe, with two in France. Overall, workers from each city that made the list reportedly work just 33.5 hours or less—and the top-ranking city made it in at 30.8 hours weekly.
According to U.S. standards, these full-time workers are technically working part-time schedules, since a job that requires you to work 35 hours or fewer is considered part-time.
The Top International Locations for Work-Life Balance:
13. Madrid, Spain– 33.28 hours
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12. Amsterdam, Netherlands– 33.20 hours
11. Munich, Germany– 33.1 hours
10. Brussels, Belgium– 33.02 hours
9. Vilnius, Lithuania– 33 hours
8. Luxembourg, Luxembourg– 32.75 hours
7. Copenhagen, Denmark– 32.64 hours
6. Milan, Italy– 32.52 hours
5. Vienna, Austria– 32.27 hours
4. Helsinki, Finland– 31.91 hours
3. Moscow, Russia– 31.66 hours
2. Lyon, France– 31.36 hours
1. Paris, France– 30.84 hours
This latest data shows how far behind the U.S. is in terms of supporting workers in their quest for work-life balance. One of the best ways to help employees achieve this is by offering flexible jobs that will have them spending less time at the office and more time being productive by allowing them to work remotely. Numerous studies have shown that remote workers are far more productive than those who trudge into an office each day, where they might be there physically but perhaps not mentally.
Even if your company is not a remote one, it should still offer a flexible-work policy for its staffers.
By doing so, companies can greatly increase their talent pool by attracting only the best and brightest workers, despite their geographic location. Not only will you get more top-tier talent applying for positions, but also your company will be better able to retain these workers, since more and more people are listing flexible working conditions as a major factor in their decision to apply for and/or stay in a job.
Once workers feel as if a company is considerate of their needs for work-life balance, their productivity (as well as company loyalty) will grow. This in turn creates a more cohesive, solidified team that works well together, no matter what their location, nor what time of day (or night) they work.
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Readers, does this eye-opening data make you want to rethink your company’s stance on workplace flexibility? Let us know in the comments below!
Photo Credit of Sforza Castle in Milan Italy: bigstockphoto.com
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