Savanna Durr/Insider
American expatriates are increasingly discussing the differences in work-life balance across the globe.
Parental leave, PTO days, and overall workload are all topics intriguing workers.
Insider compared the work-life balance of the US, France, Australia, and the UK.
Americans expatriates are questioning how work-life balance in the US compares to other countries after moving overseas and finding vastly different policies on paid leave and working hours.
The topic is gaining traction on social media, where users like American abroad Brooke Laven are contemplating the international differences in how we work and live. In a February TikTok, Laven expressed her shock and dismay over the average paid time off US workers receive compared to full-timers in Australia, where she is currently based.
Laven said in the video she was offered four weeks of PTO for every 12 months she worked at her Australia-based job. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average number of paid vacations after one year was 13 days in 2021.
“I knew American working rights are bad, but I didn’t know how bad until I got my Australian full-time contract,” Laven said in the video.
Part 3 of my Aus vlog (detailing my job search experience) coming tomorrow! #australia🇦🇺 #usa🇺🇸 #worklife #didyouknow ♬ Suspense, horror, piano and music box – takaya
The clip prompted Insider to look into how work-life balance in the US compares to other developed countries like the UK, France, and Australia. Here’s what we found.
US
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On the whole, work-life balance is best in North American and European countries when compared to the rest of the world, but overworking is still a global concern, according to a report by the UN’s International Labor Organization. The report found that more than a third of all international workers are on the job at least 48 hours per week.
In the US, employees worked more than in the UK, France, and Australia at an average of 1,750 hours per year, the report found. Although the standard full-time workweek is 40 hours, the average US worker is clocking 400 hours more annually.
Some US companies — including Basecamp, Panasonic, and ThredUP — are looking to cut down on those hours …read more
Source:: Business Insider