Blighty plight | UK ranks among worst countries for work-life balance

New analysis has revealed that the UK lags behind in work-life balance when compared to other countries, ranking in 34th place worldwide out of 40 analysed, as employers hone in on improving employee experience and other countries launch digital nomad visas.

The Work-Life Balance Report 2024, conducted by HR systems specialist Access People, part of The Access Group, revealed that Spain is leading the way when it comes to work-life balance - while the UK lags behind in 34th place out of the 40 countries analysed in the global report.

Analysing factors including the number of paid annual leave days, the number of bank holidays, the amount of fully paid maternity and paternity leave days, and four-day working week policies, an index score out of 100 was calculated for each country - with scores closer to 100 ranking higher on the list.

Coming in at number 34, the UK was in the bottom 10 of the countries in the report. In the last year, Google searches in the UK for ‘work abroad visa’ have risen by 27%, which could reflect the country’s position in the index as people look to explore opportunities in other countries.