Britain has the worst work-life balance in western Europe, research has revealed.
A study has found that the UK has the highest proportion of employees working more than 50 hours a week.
It means Britons spend 325 more hours at work than their German counterparts every year – giving them less time to relax and unwind.
Scandinavian countries top the list of the world’s industrialised nations with the best work-life balance, while the United States, Japan and South Korea are languishing at the bottom.
Britain has the worst work-life balance in western Europe, research has revealed. File image used
The work-life index was compiled by online retailer Mahabis, whose founder Ankur Shah said: ‘The stresses and strains of modern life has seen people’s work-life balance suffer, and this is particularly true in the UK.
‘A healthy, happy workforce can drive productivity and creativity, but these figures reveal that Brits are among the most guilty of committing more time to their jobs rather than finding time to switch off.
‘We can all do more to recognise the importance of downtime, which can benefit individuals, businesses and society as a whole.’
Mahabis ranked 20 industrialised nations on seven individual measures, then combined them into an overall ranking.
Britain came 16th, beating only Greece, the US, Japan and South Korea. Denmark topped the list, followed by Norway and Sweden.
More than one in eight Britons (12.7 per cent) work more than 50 hours a week – a figure exceeded only by Japan and South Korea.
In France, the figure is just 7.76 per cent and in Germany 4.6 per cent. Only 0.45 per cent of workers in the Netherlands and 1.1 per cent of workers in Sweden work more than 50 hours.
The average UK employee worked 1,681 hours in 2017 – far more than Germans (1,356) or Danes (1,408).
The work-life index takes into account a range of factors which contribute to a healthy balance, including the average number of hours worked each year, statutory leave available to employees, time dedicated to leisure and personal care, and overall happiness.
Scandinavian countries top the list of the world’s industrialised nations with the best work-life balance. File image used
The only indicator where the UK performs highly is paid maternity weeks. The 39 weeks in Britain is fewer than in Norway, but well ahead of the 14 weeks in Germany and 16 in France.
There are only 20 paid statutory days off a year in the UK, compared to 25 in France and 30 in Spain.
And Britain has only eight days of public holidays. Only one country, Switzerland, has fewer, with seven. However, workers in the US do not have a single day of paid statutory leave.
Mahabis based its rankings on figures collated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Labour Organisation.
The issue of work-life balance came to the fore at the Trades Union Congress this year. Labour said it would look into introducing a statutory four-day week.