100+ Work Life Balance Statistics 2024: Long Hours, Mental Health & Top Jobs

Let’s start with an overview—

• Toxic workplace culture is a leading factor for job change consideration, with 34% of respondents identifying it as a key issue. Millennials, in particular, are the most affected, with 39% citing it as a reason for seeking new employment. (Muse)

• 42% of the global workforce report burnout – an all-time high since May 2021. (Future Forum)

• Employees who are not happy with the amount of flexibility in their job are 43% more likely to report feeling burnt out at work compared to those who are content with their flexibility levels. (Future Forum)

• On average,11% of workers around the world claimed to work 50 hours per week(OECD)

• A small study also found that due to technology,39% found it difficult to disconnect from work when at home. (First Psychology Scotland)

• Another global survey discovered that 89% of respondents believe their work-life balance is getting worse. (Harvard Business Review)

Check out more key statistics:

• Homelessness Statistics

• Personal Finance Statistics

• Credit Card Statistics

• Job Satisfaction Statistics

• American Savings Statistics

• Sales Statistics

• Employee Productivity Statistics

• US Worker Statistics

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• Work From Home Statistics

Although the work-life balance statistics imply that the situation is getting worse, many also understand that good work-life balance plays a key role in their everyday lives.

• 60% of respondents prioritize their personal lives over their work lives. (Randstad)

• Work-life balance is as crucial as pay for 93% of workers, and a further 57% value work-life balance more than higher pay (55%) when considering their next career move. (Randstad)

• 75.5% of workers who have a higher intent to stay at their current organization reported to have a healthy work-life balance. (Conference Board)

• A healthy work-life balance makes up 6.1% of overall job satisfaction. (Conference Board)

• A small survey revealed employees rated health and family as 25% more important than other non-work factors in their work-life balance. (Environmental Research and Public Health)

• When surveying professionals in London, 30% of men and 50% of women claimed to resist working long hours and had various strategies for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. (Harvard Business Review)

• Another survey revealed79% of employees claimed work-life balance was the reason for wanting a flexible job, and 72% said it was the most important factor when considering a new job. (FlexJobs)

As different generations enter and retire from the workforce, work habits and attitudes also shift. Despite being new to the world of work, the younger generation is no stranger to burnout and pressures in the workplace.

• While all generations value work-life balance, Gen Z notably prioritizes it over compensation more significantly than other generations, with 60% of Gen Z workers focusing on work-life balance compared to 40% who consider compensation crucial. (Muse)

• Younger workers, particularly from Gen Z, are more likely to be influenced by economic uncertainty, with 47% indicating that news of the economy will affect their job change plans. This is in contrast to 35% of Gen X and 41% of Millennials expressing the same concern. (Muse)

• Among Generation Z, 46% prioritize flexible working hours, and 51% prioritize the ability to work from home. (Randstand)

• Only 32% of Gen Zs and 39% of Millennials cite work-life balance as the reason for staying at their workplace. (Deloitte)

• And 42% of Gen Zs and 43% of Millennials say they’ve left their company because of workplace pressure. (Deloitte)

• In fact, 46% of Gen Zs and 45% of Millennials say they feel burnout due to work demands, with one in five Gen Zs and one in four Millennials not believing their employer is taking burnout seriously. (Deloitte)

• A global survey also revealed that 49% of 18-29-year-olds feel burned out, compared to 38% of those over 30. (Future Forum)

• However,70% of employees under 30 also said dealing with work issues at home wasn’t a problem—but this number dropped to 52% for those over 30. (Deloitte)

• Older employees in Finland, Lithuania, and Sweden were more likely to point out the maintenance of work-life balance. (Gdansk University of Technology)

As well as generational differences, there are also distinctions between men and women. Interestingly, many statistics show that despite men working longer hours, women tend to strive more for a healthy work-life balance.

• Women value work-life balance more highly than men, with 76% of women ranking it as their top job consideration, compared to 65% of men. (Muse)

• DEI initiatives hold more weight for women in their job search, with 18% of women stating DEI is a critical factor, as opposed to 29% of men who consider it non-essential. (Muse)

• A survey found that Women are significantly less satisfied than men across almost all job satisfaction components, with large gaps in job security, promotion policy, vacation policy, and health plans. (Conference Board)

• Additionally, only 67% of males indicated that work-life balance was very important when choosing a job, as opposed to 78% of females. (Statista)

• Another survey also found that 60% of women chose greater work-life balance and well-being as “very important” for a new job. (Gallup)

• Despite this, a global survey revealed that 34% of women rated their ability to ‘switch off’ as poor or extremely poor. (Deloitte)

• Out of those, the survey found that 42%worried their career progression would suffer if they weren’t always available, and18%claimed lack of work-life balance was the main reason for their resignation. (Deloitte)

• Women were also revealed to suffer 32% more burnout than men. (Future Forum)

• When questioned about employees with children, 51% claimed women had a healthier work-life balance, compared to 37% who chose men. (Business Insider)

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance goes way beyond prioritizing personal time. Studies show that long hours can seriously damage your emotional and physical well-being.

• It was discovered that working over 55 hours a week was associated with a 35% increased risk of a stroke and a 17% increased risk of ischemic heart disease. (WHO/ ILO)

• In one year 398,000 people died from a stroke and 47,000 from heart disease—both linked to working over 55 hours a week. (WHO/ILO)

• An unhealthy work-life balance also affects your mental health. More than two-thirds of employees have had their sleep negatively affected by issues in the workplace. (Mental Health America)

• In addition, an Australian study discovered that employees working over 55 hours had an increased risk of new major depression symptoms. (University of South Australia)

• The study found that a person’s risk of depression increased by 300 due to poor psychological well-being in work-life. (University of South Australia)

• Work-life balance mental health struggles were also recorded back in 2006, as it was found that over three-fourths claimed work-related stress affected their personal lives, especially among men.(Anxiety & Depression Association of America)

• Seven in 10 of these adults claimed workplace stress impacted their personal relationships, especially with their spouses. (Anxiety & Depression Association of America)

• For women, a 5-year study revealed long working hours is a risk factor for developing anxiety and depression symptoms. (Cambridge University Press)

• Generally, employees suffering from burnout report 22x more stress and anxiety at work than those who are not. (Future Forum)

Burnout is the feeling of physical or emotional exhaustion due to overworking. Neglecting personal time by spending long hours working can often lead to burnout and a whole load of other issues.

• More than four in 10 report feeling burned out at work. (Deloitte)

• A significant 26% of employees highlight the lack of flexibility and/or remote work policies as a primary reason for considering a job change, reflecting concerns over burnout and a push for better work-life integration. (Muse)

• A staggering 59% of the global workforce is quiet quitting. (Deloitte)

• 44% of employees experienced a lot of stress the previous day – repeating the record-high number from the previous year. (Gallup)

• Globally, 21% of workers felt angry the previous day. (Gallup)

• Those who spend too much time in meetings are 38% more likely to feel burnout, and those who feel pressure to be productive or quickly respond to messages, even outside working hours, are twice as likely to experience burnout. (Future Forum)

• Burnout has been found to decrease productivity by 32%and the ability to focus by 60%. (Future Forum)

• Burnt-out employees are twice as likely to feel disconnected from their company’s values, leadership, and colleagues, as well as more likely to look for a new job. (Future Forum)

• Despite this, almost 70% of professionals believe their employers aren’t taking the necessary measures to prevent burnout. (Deloitte)

• Moreover, 21%claim their company doesn’t offer any programs or initiatives to alleviate burnout. (Deloitte)

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Health complications, burnout, and mental health discussions are prompting many to readjust their priorities and achieve a better work-life balance.

• Ambition no longer strictly means career progression but includes work-life balance, flexibility, equity, and skill development. (Randstand)

• 60% of workers see their personal life as more important than their work life. (Randstand)

• 51% of workers are happy to stay in a role they like, even if there’s no room for career progression, while a further 39% are happy at their current level and don’t want career progression. (Randstand)

• Between 2021 and 2022, the number of workers reporting healthy work-life balance increased by 5.8%. (Conference Board)

• Currently, a global survey revealed that the average full-time worker spends 63% of their day on personal care and leisure activities. (OECD)

• The US falls just below average, with full-time workers spending 61% of their day, or 14.6 hours, on personal care and leisure. (OECD)

• An American Worker Survey found that 69% prioritize their personal lives over their work life. (Prudential)

• In fact,1 in 5 workers say they would take a pay cut of approximately 10 if it would improve their work-life balance. (Prudential)

• A UK survey also found that 59% of mothers and 69% of fathers would reduce their working hours to spend more time with their families. (University of Kent & University of Birmingham)

Outside of work, a small survey showed that 64% didn’t struggle to control their use of technology outside work hours, and 60% stated they are currently happy with their work-life balance. (First Psychology Scotland)

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The emergence of Covid-19 brought major disruptions on a global scale. Workers across the world were forced to work from home, with many struggling to separate their work and personal lives. Despite it being years since the world went into lockdown, the effects are still lingering.

• During the pandemic, one-third of workers switched jobs, of which 49% prioritized their personal lives over work. (Prudential)

• Throughout the lockdown, parents experienced high levels of work-family conflict, with 49% of mothers claiming remote work prevented family time and50%stating family time prevented work time. (University of Kent & University of Birmingham)

• Since the pandemic,57% of Gen Zs and 53% of Millennials say their workplace mental health and well-being have been further prioritized by their employers.(Deloitte)

• Despite this, a 2022 survey revealed that 81% of professionals are more burnt out than at the start of the pandemic. (Korn Ferry)

• Another survey showed that 44% of employed adults are experiencing burnout as they are adjusting to a new remote/hybrid model. (Prudential)

The growth of remote working has accelerated in recent years, largely due to the global pandemic. While many returned to their workplace once the storm settled, countless workers have opted to continue working remotely.

• For nearly 2 in 5 respondents, working from home is non-negotiable. (Randstand)

• 37% would consider quitting if required to spend more time in the office. (Randstand)

• Preferring flexible working hours slightly leads over the need to work from home (41% vs. 37%). (Randstand)

• Close to 40% of workers insist on the non-negotiable nature of working from home. (Randstand)

• Workers with total schedule flexibility reported having 29% more productivityand53% more focus than workers with rigid schedules.(Future Forum)

• This was mirrored in another survey, where 74% claimed to have more focus and energy while working from home compared to the office. (Korn Ferry)

While remote working is gaining traction, this isn’t the best option for everyone. In fact, many professionals working from home have struggled to separate their work and personal lives.

• 85% of leavers say that the shift to hybrid work has made it challenging to have confidence that workers are productive, despite the increase in working hours. (Deloitte)

• Employees with hybrid work arrangements report the greatest job satisfaction compared to fully remote or fully on-premises workers. (Conference Board)

• A survey found that out of 3 employees experienced blurred boundaries between work and home. (University of Kent & University of Birmingham)

• Another survey showed that 54% of remote workers experienced heightened stress, and 45% felt high anxiety levels. This is compared to 49% and 42% of office workers, respectively. (Airtasker)

• Productivity levels also differ, with on-site workers reporting 7.8 hours of work daily compared to 5.6 for remote workers. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Days off give us the much-needed opportunity to unwind and disconnect from work duties. But according to statistics, not everyone is taking advantage of vacation days, with many opting for extra cash instead of time to relax.

• It’s discovered that a whopping 765 million vacation days have gone unused by Americans. (Forbes)

• More than half of workers (52%) report working during their paid time off. (Forbes)

• A separate survey showed that 73% of respondents felt guilty when working during vacations. Those who resist the temptation to work also confess feeling guilty – about not working. On the whole, the continuous connection to the workplace stirred up feelings of anxiety in 57% of workers if and when they fail to check their emails while on PTO. (Forbes)

• Less than half of employees in the US take all their vacation days. (Bloomberg) INFO reasons

• Research into 21 developed countries found that every country except the US required employers to offer 10–30 paid vacation days a year.(The Center for Economic and Policy Research)

• A survey involving 1000 professionals revealed that one in four never or rarely takes all their vacation days. (Deloitte)

• In the US, 63% of workers said they would choose to get paid for leftover sick days rather than get extra time off. (Business Insider)

• The majority of Americans claimed they would rather be paid an extra $20,000 than have an additional four weeks of vacation when choosing a new job. (OECD)

Amongst these respondents, only 32% would choose to have extra time off. (OECD)

While every job has its pros and cons, it’s no secret that some jobs carry more stress and responsibilities than others. Here’s how different professions cope with managing work-life balance.

According to the 2022 report by Glassdoor, here are the best companies to work for regarding work-life balance—

1. Dropbox: 4.83/5

2. SailPoint Technologies: 4.77/5

3. MathWorks: 4.77/5

4. Asana: 4.76/5

5. Box: 4.75/5

6. Zeigler Auto Group: 4.74/5

7. Atlassian: 4.72/5

8. CoverMyMeds: 4.65/5

9. Cornerstone Home Lending: 4.64/5

10. eXp Realty: 4.63/5

• 10% of employees work 50 hours or more per week in paid work across OECD countries.

• On average, 14% of male employees work very long hours compared with about 6% of women in OECD countries.

• Conversely, despite fewer hours in paid work, women do not necessarily enjoy more leisure time than men, reflecting the additional unpaid work responsibilities they often shoulder at home.

• A full-time worker in the OECD devotes 63% of the day, or 15 hours, on average to personal care and leisure.

Ultimately, the meaning of work-life balance is a matter of perspective. But paying attention to your mental and physical health is a good place to start. If you want to improve your work-life balance, here are some simple work-life balance tips you can practice—

1. Take breaks to improve your concentration and energy.

2. Prioritize your well-being by taking care of your mental and physical health.

3. Communicate your boundaries and learn to say no if you feel overworked.

4. Schedule time for personal relationships and time for yourself.

5. Unplug after work hours if you’re struggling to disconnect.

6. Make sure you're getting paid for the hours you work.