The Coronavirus pandemic has made many of us question our work-life balance like never before. On the one hand, a flexible working week is now easier to achieve. But on the other, research shows that Brits are putting in longer hours while working from home.
According to the latest research, the UK is actually among the worst countries in Europe for work-life balance. The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) gives the UK a score of just 6.4 out of 10 in this area.
This is noticeably lower than the scores awarded to France (8.7), Spain (8.8), Germany (8.4), Ireland (7.9) and Denmark (9.0). In fact, only Iceland (5.1) is given a worse work-life balance score than the UK.
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The best work-life balance can be found in the Netherlands, which is given a score of 9.5. The average working week there is 29.3 hours – a full 20% shorter than the UK's average working week of 36.6 hours. That's equivalent to a full working day saved each week.
Meanwhile, research compiled by Small Business Prices reveals that nearly a quarter (23%) of workers in the UK have reported risk factors which could affect their mental health in the workplace. Learning how to spot and combat these risk factors plays a key part in avoiding workplace burnout.
Ian Wright, founder of Small Business Prices, said: "COVID-19 has certainly changed the way businesses operate around the globe, but one thing that should not change is their dedication to their employees to ensure they have a positive work-life balance.
“Something as simple as flexible working practices can have a positive impact on your employees and is something that works both virtually and in a physical workplace – depending on your situation.”
One way of instantly improving your work-life balance is to make the most of your annual leave in 2021. By taking a specific set of 19 days off, you can enjoy 48 days of pure holiday this year – perfect if you're hoping to take more staycations.