New Zealand ranked best country for work-life balance

New Zealand has been ranked the top country for work-life balance, according to research by global employment firm Remote.

Its Global life-work balance index, which assesses the quality of work-life balance in the world’s top 60 GDP countries, ranking each nation out of 100, ranked the UK in eighth place. Remote uses the phrase ‘life-work balance’ as it believes life is more important than work.

The overall score for each country is decided by minimum wage, sick leave, maternity leave, healthcare availability, public happiness, average working hours, and LGBTQ+ inclusivity in each country.

New Zealand received the highest score of 79.35 due to its strong economy, generous statutory annual leave allowance of 32 days, a high rate of sick pay of 80% and a government-funded universal health care system.

Meanwhile, the UK received a score of 69.07. This was due to its healthy attitude to life-work balance, an internationally renowned healthcare system, generous minimum wage, one of the highest global rates of statutory maternity leave, a high-income economy and a very high human development index rating.

The top 10 countries are:

1. New Zealand
2. Spain
3. France
4. Australia
5. Denmark
6. Norway
7. Netherlands
8. UK
9. Canada
10. Brazil

Amanda Day, director of people enablement at Remote: “When conducting the study, it was fascinating to observe different working cultures across the globe and how each approached the concept of life-work balance. Remote champion companies and organisations that prioritise their employees by providing them with a strong foundation for life-work balance.

“True life-work balance extends beyond work-from-home mandates, it actively encourages employers to take time off away from the pressures of work, advocating for a balanced life to help us thrive in all areas. While the world of work has come a long way since embracing remote-first attitudes and flexibility, there’s still work to be done across the globe to strike a perfect balance between our personal and professional selves.”