Malaysia’s Work-Life Balance Ranks 59 Out Of 60 Countries
Among Asian countries in the list of 60, Malaysia ranked the lowest.
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What is Malaysia’s work-life balance like? According to an online index, in a list of 60 countries, we’re only better than Nigeria which ranked 60th.
The Global Life-Work Balance Index was compiled by a human resources solutions company known as Remote. The index reviewed the 60 highest GDP nations with data collected and analysed in March 2023.
Their result? Malaysia ranked 59th.
With a population of 34,193,706 people as of March 2023, Malaysia recorded a Work-Life Balance score of only 27.51%, with an average workweek of 40.8 hours.
Additionally, Malaysia offers a low annual holiday allowance of just 19 days and has a happiness score of 5.71.
In contrast, New Zealand topped the study with the highest Work-Life Balance score of 79.35%.
The second position was Spain with a score of 75.55% and the third was France with 75.34%.
What is even more unfortunate is the fact that among Asian countries in the list, Malaysia ranked the lowest.
Singapore and Taiwan placed in the top 20 with the former at 19 and the latter at 16.
Methodology Of The Survey
The index was put together using several key factors to decide the work-life balance of the 60 countries.
Some of the key factors include the number of paid leaves which cover public holidays and maternity leaves, and the percentage of wages including the annual minimum wage.
They also looked at employees’ health status of and referred to the happiness index. They calculated the average number of hours that employees and employers work in each country.
Apart from that, they calculated a score that reflects both the legal rights afforded to LGBTQ+ individuals and public opinion towards the LGBTQ+ community in each country.
What Is Work-Life Balance?
Work-life balance refers to how individuals prioritize their personal and professional activities and the extent to which job-related tasks permeate their home life.
This balance has become a pressing issue with the rise of technology, which has diminished the importance of physical location in defining work boundaries.
In the past, the clear separation between work and home life was easier to maintain because taking work home was challenging.
However, advancements in mobile technology, cloud-based software, and the internet have made it much simpler for employees to be constantly connected to work.
This shift has blurred the lines between professional and personal time, making it harder for individuals to disconnect from their job responsibilities.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for mental health and overall well-being.
It involves setting boundaries to ensure that work does not encroach too much on personal life, allowing for adequate rest and reducing stress.
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