The best countries for workplace benefits

THE BEST COUNTRIES FOR WORKPLACE BENEFITS

Workplace benefits are a big deal. From attracting and keeping talent, to complying to local and national laws, the benefits a company offers its staff can be ‘make or break’ for many current or prospective employees.

They also contribute to employee happiness, which in turn boosts productivity, company loyalty and reduces workplace stress.

We wanted to find out which countries (and their most populated cities) across the globe are the best for employee benefits.

If you fancy upping sticks and taking your trade elsewhere, these could all be great options.

HOW OUR INDEX IS SCORED

The index is based on a range of standard benefits that are offered by companies in 40 countries across the world. These include the average working hours, paid maternity leave, vacation allowance, average salaries, average retirement age and more. We scored each city on each of these factors, giving them a total out of 100.

TYPES OF WORKPLACE BENEFITS AND HOW THEY IMPACT WORK-LIFE CULTURE

There are often new types of workplace benefits appearing on job ads. For example, it wasn’t too long ago that things like ‘A brand new Mac’ wouldn’t have been possible, while it’s still sadly quite rare to see paternity leave included. However, some benefits are almost universally recognised, and they can each make a huge difference to an employee's wellbeing. These range from financial benefits, through to supported education, health cover, family care and social activities, and each one can make our working lives much better.

Paid time off helps prevent burnout

Knowing you can take time off without losing out on your salary is a big benefit to many. In fact, Robert Half’s Salary Guide survey placed it in 57% of people’s top three work perks[1]. Not only is paid leave a great way to take holidays, it can also cover illness, bereavement, and be a great solution to stress and burnout.

Only 6% of employees work the traditional 9-5

Contrary to what the song says, according to a YouGov survey in 2018 only 6% of us are working 9-5[2]. Furthermore, only 14% of employees would opt to work those hours if given the choice. Flexible working hours have taken off since the pandemic, and could be set to stay.

75% of employees would stay where they are due to benefits

With reports of ‘The Great Resignation’ making the headlines, it’ll be music to employers’ ears to hear that good benefits are enough to keep 75% of their staff in their current positions[3].

They might also be pleased to know that 80% of employees would prefer additional benefits over a pay rise[4].

69% of employees would choose a job based on its benefits

Offering a good salary on its own isn’t enough anymore - more and more workers are looking for benefits that make working somewhere worth it. 69% would choose one job over another if its benefits were better[5], which could explain why 42%[6] of companies are planning to significantly improve their benefit programme as a result of Covid-19.

Biking to work has boomed

Between March and September of 2020 - when most of the world was in full lockdown - Bike to Work schemes saw a 60% increase in new joiners compared to the same time the year before[7].

THE GLOBAL WORK-LIFE CULTURE INDEX: THE TOP 20 CITIES FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Rank	Country	Most populated city	Hours worked per week*	Number of paid weeks maternity leave	% amount of salary paid for maternity leave	Average number of paid vacation days**	Paid public holidays	Total paid leave***	Average retirement age	Total work-life culture index score (/100)
1	Slovakia	Bratislava	32.6	34	75	25	15	40	62.67	77.1
2	France	Paris	28.9	16	90	37	11	48	62	72.9
3	Malta	St Paul’s Bay	36.8	18	86	27	14	41	63	69.3
4	Norway	Oslo	26.6	13	94	25	10	35	62	63.2
5	Austria	Vienna	31	16	100	25	13	38	65	62.5
6	Finland	Helsinki	30.6	17.5	74	25	11	36	63.75	62.5
7	Poland	Warsaw	38.9	20	100	26	13	39	65	61.8
8	South Korea	Seoul	38.1	12.9	80	25	15	40	62	60.0
9	Bulgaria	Sofia	31.6	58.6	90	20	12	32	64.33	58.6
10	Slovenia	Ljubljana	30.6	15	100	20	13	33	60	57.5
11	Iceland	Reykjavík	28	13	68	24	14	38	67	54.6
12	Sweden	Stockholm	30.9	12.9	77	25	9	34	62	54.3
13	Denmark	Copenhagen	26.6	18	53	25	11	36	66.5	53.9
14	Lithuania	Vilnius	36.3	18	100	20	14	34	64	53.9
15	Hungary	Budapest	33.2	24	70	20	13	33	64.5	51.8
16	Czech Republic	Prague	34.4	28	61	20	13	33	63.83	50.4
17	Spain	Madrid	32.4	16	100	22	11	33	66	50.4
18	Croatia	Zagreb	35.2	30	100	20	13	33	65	50.0
19	Estonia	Tallinn	34.6	20	100	20	11	31	63.75	48.6
20	Japan	Tokyo	32.5	14	67	20	16	36	65	48.6

*2019 average | **Based on a five day working week | ***Based on five day working week and the maximum days allowed.

Bratislava, Slovakia offers the best work benefits in the world

It might not be the first place you think of when it comes to a great work/life culture, but Slovakia is full of surprises. The city of Bratislava offers better workplace benefits than anywhere else, including 15 paid public holidays, 40 days of annual leave, and a relatively low retirement age of 62.67. But what really seals the top spot for Bratislava is their maternal policy. With 34 weeks of paid leave, they’re one of the most generous places of all when it comes to taking time off for your baby.

Paris is a great place for workplace perks

Possibly the most romantic city in the word, and definitely the second best for workplace benefits, Paris offers many great reasons to make the move. While it only provides 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, it will cover 90% of your salary for that time, and gives workers 48 days of annual leave - more than any other city. The average working week is only 28.9 hours, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the atmosphere.

St Paul’s Bay in Malta is a beautiful place to enjoy your benefits

If you like the idea of working with a view, look no further than the stunning St Paul’s Bay. The Maltese city offers coastal living, beautiful beaches and fantastic food, and if you can pull yourself away from all that, the working benefits aren’t bad either. You’ll get 18 weeks of paid maternity leave, 41 days of paid leave and an average retirement age of 63 - leaving you free to enjoy your surroundings.

No UK city makes the top 20 for workplace benefits

Sadly for UK workers, our benefits are someway behind the rest of the world. While mums can get a whole year off for maternity leave, only the first six weeks will see them take home 90% of the pay. For the rest of that time, they’ll only receive £156.66, unless 90% of their annual weekly earnings is already lower, in which case they’ll keep getting that. 36 days off annual leave, including eight public holidays, puts the UK somewhere in the top half of the table, but an average retirement age of 64.7 drags our total score down.

You’ll earn more if you work in Zürich

One benefit that can’t be ignored is the average annual salary. For many of us, that will be the thing we value above most other work perks, and even the most generous bike to work scheme, holiday allowance or maternity cover wouldn’t be enough to make up for a low salary.

If earning the most is what you’re after, Zürich in Switzerland is where you’re likely to take home the most out of the cities in our top 20. The average annual salary there is over £65,800 ($82,620), which is more than the £62,400 ($78,290) you could earn in Oslo, or the £18,800 ($23, 619) the average worker gets in Bratislava on top of its great perks.

Work in the UK? The average salary here is only £31,700 ($39,830).

WORKPLACE CULTURE CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

As with every kind of culture, the one in the workplace changes depending on which country you’re in. While in the UK there’s a big culture of going for a Friday drink or two, in Japan things like a midday nap are commonplace. Known as inemuri, it’s meant to be a sign of commitment to your job, and is more acceptable the higher up in your company you become.

In India, culture dictates that there is a very clear divide between management and their subordinates. Unlike in western workplaces, where it’s common to socialise across all levels of a company, Indian workers have to book a meeting whenever they want to speak to their higher-ups. No chit-chat, no out of hours meet-ups, and definitely no all-office parties.

Brazilians like to dress to impress. You’ll never see someone there enter a meeting without their best formal wear on, while it’s considered embarrassing to ever do business wearing the country’s national colours of green and yellow.

PERKS ARE CHANGING DUE TO THE PANDEMIC

Coronavirus changed the world in a lot of ways, and one of the most noticeable was how we approached work. With offices off limits for most of us, many turned to working from home. As of January 2022, 36% of adults told ONS they’d worked from home at least once in the last seven days, showing the Covid-enforced changes could be here to stay[8].

Businesses have had to move fast. While many have insisted their workers come back to the office full time, many more have kept flexible working open. Work/life balance was really brought to the fore over the past two years, and the world’s employees are reluctant to go back to how things were before.

THE MOST COMMON EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ADVERTISED BY UK BUSINESSES IN 2022

We analysed 647,687 job adverts from job site Indeed to see how UK companies are promoting their benefits. These were the ones that showed up the most.

Rank	Benefit	% of jobs advertised with this benefit
1	Company pension	16.6%
2	On-site parking	15.1%
3	Bonus scheme	12.0%
4	Cycle to work scheme	11.5%
5	Hybrid	9.6%
6	Employee discount	8.6%
7	Flexible schedule	8.4%
8	Discounted or free food	6.1%
9	Childcare	5.5%
10	Work from home options	5.5%
11	Company events	5.2%
12	Gym membership	5.1%
13	Remote	5.1%
14	Private medical insurance	4.7%
15	Life insurance	4.4%
16	Referral programme	4.0%
17	Wellness programmes	3.5%
18	Free parking	3.4%
19	Company car	3.1%
20	Birthday day off	1.2%
21	Healthcare Cash Plan	0.6%
22	Private dental insurance	0.6%
23	Volunteering days	0.5%
24	Sabbatical	0.2%
25	4 day week	0.2%
26	Eyecare Vouchers	0.1%
27	Unlimited holiday	0.1%

Company pensions are the most popular workplace benefit advertised online

16.6% of job ads live right now advertise their companies workplace pension as a key employee benefit. Some companies may offer more generous schemes than others, however, in the UK all employers are required to offer a workplace pension scheme by law. This means that a percentage of your salary gets put away into a pension pot, so that when you get to retirement age you can claim it back. Companies will match the percentage that you save, adding up to a nice amount of your years of working.

11.5% of UK businesses offer a cycle to work scheme

How you get to work can be just as important as what you do when you get there. Long commutes can be off-putting, while short cycles can give you exercise as well as an enjoyable start to the day. 11.5% of companies advertising now offer a cycle to work scheme, helping you afford the cost of a new bike.

Four-day working weeks are on the rise

More and more companies are playing with the idea of a four-day working week. It’s now listed on 0.2% of all live job ads, giving employees more flexibility with their time and longer weekends. There’s a trial taking place in June, where thousands of workers will experience it to see whether it’s a viable option for the future.

HOW SMALL BUSINESSES CAN OFFER BIG BENEFITS

Smaller businesses might not have the finances to offer big financial perks, but you can still make your company a great place to work. Flexible working hours allow your employees to do what’s important to them, such as dropping their kids off at work or getting some exercise. Hybrid working is also a good option, as it helps you attract talent from a wider pool of people. This can be especially useful if you’re based in a more remote location.

You could also look to make the most of nearby businesses. Is there a coffee shop down the road? See if you can do a deal. They’ll be grateful for regular customers, and your staff will be grateful for regular caffeine.

We can help too. Our fast card payment devices make it easy to take money, getting it into your account the next working day and ensuring you can pay your people on time, every time.

Jon Knott, Head of Customer Insights at Paymentsense commented:

“The workplace benefits offered by companies are becoming increasingly important across the world as new ways of working and employee needs change and evolve.

As a result of Covid-19, it is estimated that 42% of companies are planning to significantly improve their benefit programmes as offering a good salary on its own isn’t enough anymore - more and more workers are looking for benefits that make working somewhere worth it.

The benefits offered by a company can make a huge difference to an employee’s wellbeing, productivity and loyalty. This ultimately benefits the company too as it will help attract and retain staff, whilst building a positive and rewarding culture.

Methodology

To create Paymentsense’s global work-life culture index, data was collected and analysed from OECD, Penn World Table, WorldData.info and Government sources to best understand which country and their most populated city has the best employee benefits. Each location was scored on a number of metrics including the average hours worked per week, length of paid maternity leave and % of salary paid, holiday entitlement and average retirement age. Each of these metrics has been ranked to then create an overall work-life culture index score out of 100.

To reveal the most common employee benefits offered by UK businesses in 2022, over 647,600 job listings on Indeed were analysed. The number of adverts that included each employee benefit was noted to calculate the percentage of jobs that offered each perk.