Where does Canada rank in work-life balance compare to other countries?

Striking a perfect work-life balance can be tricky, especially in this economy, but it seems like Canadians have solved the puzzle.

According to a new survey from global human resources company Remote, Canada ranks 5th in the Global Life-Work Index out of a total of 60 countries, including our neighbours to the south who came in at 55th.

Christian Cook, human resources professor at Mount Royal University, says work-life balance is no more than a myth, describing it as more of a personal feeling with no universal definition.

She says the balance is more like a boundary and it’s different for every person based on their profession and the organization they work for.

“Lots of times, the first place people go is in hours,” Cook says. “So they go well, ‘I can do my 40 hours, or my 37-and-a-half hours, at any time during the week that I want and that’s flexible.'”

“It still might not be providing that person the balance that they need,” she says.

Some Calgarians tell CityNews they have successfully achieved a good balance through different ways, such as working in a field like sales that offers a flexible schedule, perfecting time management, or no longer having small children.

Cook says one way companies can help employees achieve these boundaries is be more empathetic towards their staff.

The survey says Canada ranks highly due to having shorter average working weeks as compared to some other countries on the list, while also being considered one of the safest and most 2SLGBTQI+ friendly countries.

“Canadians are well ahead of their neighbours in the U.S. in terms of their attitude toward work, with Canadian working culture tending to be professional but inclusive,” reads the report.

Canada ranked 9th in the same index in 2023.

The top 10 countries by work-life balance according to the survey:

1. New Zealand
2. Ireland
3. Belgium
4. Denmark
5. Canada
6. Germany
7. Finland
8. Australia
9. Norway
10. Spain