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Achieving a healthy work-life balance is essential for mental well-being, productivity, and overall quality of life. However, in certain countries, workers face challenges that hinder this balance. According to the Global Life-Work Balance Index 2025, several nations rank poorly due to factors like extended working hours, limited vacation time, and high stress levels. Also read and get to know about, 10 Countries With the Best Work-Life Balance in 2025, Best Companies for Work-Life Balance 2025
Countries with the Worst Work-Life Balance
Australia
32 out of 100
Australians have a great quality of life, but they work long hours and have long commutes, which makes their work-life balance score low.
Norway
33 out of 100
Norwegians work an average of 34.3 hours a week.
Ireland
35 out of 100
Ireland’s work-life balance is hurt by average person works 35.2 hours.
The score for the United States is 36 out of 100.
Americans work an average of 34.1 hours a week, yet they don’t get any paid time off each year.
Hungary
38 out of 100 points
Hungarians work an average of 33.2 hours a week. They are happy, although their work hours bring down.
Greece
39 out of 100
Recent suggestions to lengthen the workday to 13 hours have led to protests, which show that people are worried about the country’s work-life balance.
South Korea
40 out of 100
Even though the government has tried to cut down on working hours, South Koreans still work an average of 1,874 hours a year, which is more than the OECD average.
Turkey
41 out of 100
Turkey has trouble finding a good work-life balance because 34% of its workers put in very long hours.
Japan
42 out of 100
Even though there are rules against working too much overtime, many Japanese nevertheless have a lot of stress and work long hours.
Mexico
43 out of 100
Mexico has one of the worst work-life balances in the world since 30% of put in very long hours.
Score for Israel
44 out of 100
About 15% of Employees put in very long hours, which throws off the balance between work and life in Israel.
Colombia
0.6 out of 10
Colombians have the least free time, with only 13.3 hours of the day set aside for leisure and personal care. This makes their work-life balance score low.
Factors That Influence Work-Life Engagement
Long Working Hours: Those countries with long hours often see a loss in free time and increased stress.
Limited Time Off: Limited paid time off (PTO) denies people free time.
- High Stress Levels: Constant stress from over can lead to burnout and health issues.
- Cultural Expectations: Some nations, especially in Asia, the culture values working long hours and dedication to commitments, affecting people’s lives.
Conclusion
Many countries are improving the lives of workers by improving the balance between their professional and personal time, but some still have a long way to go. By tackling issues such as paid time off (PTO), long hours, and excessive stress, the well-being of mans globally can be improved. By looking at the examples of countries who scored above average on work-life engagement, countries can create standards for policies to create a more favorable climate.
