Many people opt to go and working another country (or at least consider doing so, even if this is daydream from their mundane role as an appendage to the machine of capital). For those with an invitation to move or with sufficient funding, where are the best places to relocate to?
This is not a simple choice for there are a number of factors to consider when considering which country and what type of work to undertake? Wages, holiday entitlement and unemployment rate are all factors that should impact a move.
The company Acuity Training has undertaken an evaluation, considering several varying factors and then developing a ranking of the top countries for workplace environments. Other aspects considered included minimum wage, entitled break time and maternity leave.
The end process produced an evaluation of ten countries and a score out of 200 for each. The top five countries for workplace environments are:
Netherlands
The Netherlands ranked in first place, scoring 141 out of 200 points. The country is famous for its cheese, wooden shoes, traditional Dutch homes and coffee shops. The minimum wage in the Netherlands is £8.50, entitled break time is 30 minutes and maternity leave is 16 weeks paid.
France
France came in second place, scoring 141 out of 200 points. The country boasts some of the most beautiful cities in the world while providing a substantial amount of holidays per year.
The minimum wage in France is £9.07, entitled break time is 20 minutes and maternity leave is 16 weeks paid.
Belgium
In third place is Belgium, scoring 138 out of 200 points. Belgium is a country best known for its famous chocolate and beer, the country is also home to NATO headquarters.
The minimum wage in Belgium is £8.39, entitled break time is 15 minutes and maternity leave is 15 weeks paid.
Norway
Norway is placed third and scored 136 out of 200 points. The country places emphasis on equality in the workplace regardless of an employee’s gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or political views.
There is no minimum wage in Norway, entitled break time is 30 minutes and maternity leave is 15 weeks paid.
Ireland
Finalising the top five is Ireland, with a score of 136 out of 200 points. Their work environment is very similar to that of the United Kingdom. The minimum wage in Ireland is £8.75, entitled break time is 30 minutes and maternity leave is 26 weeks paid.
The full list of factors used were:
- Minimum Hourly Wage
- Weekly Working Hours
- Entitled Break Time (Minutes)
- Percentage of Employees Claiming to Work Very Long Hours
- Time Devoted to Leisure and Personal Care (Hours)
- Unemployment Rate
- Gender Pay Gap
- Maternity Leave (Weeks Paid)
- Paternity Leave (Weeks Paid)
- Holiday Entitlement (Days)
Of the ten countries for the best workplace environments that were ranked, the remainder of the list in order read:
- Germany (116 points)
- Sweden (113 points)
- New Zealand (112 points)
- Iceland (108 points)
- Czech Republic (107 points)
- Canada (107 points)
- Switzerland (96 points)
- Austria (86 points)
- Israel (80 points)
- United States (64 points)
Reviewing the outcomes, Acuity Training’s director Ben Richardson said: “The results of the ranking yielded interesting results, with a selection of countries in Europe alongside Australia making up the top five. As more and more people are contemplating starting over, especially since the pandemic began, we wanted to provide those considering a move abroad with the best countries to work in, to help with this difficult decision.”
Richardson adds: “It’s interesting to see how the trends differ in each country. For instance, the minimum wage in Ireland is £8.75, however, this increases to £11.02 in Australia!”
