SCANDINAVIAN NATIONSSwedenWork hours: Just last month, Sweden told its professionals to leave their desks after six hours of work to achieve a better work-life balance. And even before the switch to shorter work days, the average worker in Sweden clocked in 36 hours per week at work.Parental leave: 16 months or 480 days paid parental leave. 60 days from these are reserved for the father. Besides, these 16 months can be spent as deemed fit by the parents over eight years of their child's life.Annual paid vacation: 36 days.DenmarkWork hours: Workers here work an average of 33 hours per week.Parental leave: 52 weeks (or 12 months) paid maternity leave.Annual paid vacation: 34 days.NorwayWork hours: In Norway too, workers clock 33 hours of work per week.Parental leave: 47 weeks paid leave or 57 weeks at 80 per cent salary.Annual paid vacation: 35 days.EUROPEGermanyWork hours: At 27.8 hours per week, workers in Germany clock among the least hours in offices. Part-time work is increasingly becoming common, with 1 in 4 German workers being on part-time schedule in 2012. The labour ministry has also banned managers from calling or emailing staff out of hours except in emergencies.Parental leave: 14 weeks.Annual paid vacation: 24 days (excluding public holidays).FranceWork hours: France adopted a 35-hour work week in 2000.Parental leave: 16 weeks for mothers at 80% salary and 2 weeks paid leave for fathers.Annual paid vacation: 25 (excluding public holidays).BelgiumWork hours: In Belgium, workers average 35 hours at work per week. Belgium also offers "career breaks" to its professionals. So, a Belgian employee is entitled to a spending allowance from the government if/when s/he takes a one-year hiatus from their job once in their career lifetime.Parental leave: 15 weeks maternity leave, 10 days paternity leave in addition to three months parental leave that can be taken in short increments up to a child's 12th birthday.Annual paid vacation: 20 days (excluding 10 public holidays).The NetherlandsWork hours: At 27.6 hours per week, the Dutch average among the lowest work hours per week in the world, and are even poised to reach an average work week of under 21 hours.Parental leave: 16 weeks and tax breaks on 26 weeks of unpaid maternity leave.Annual paid vacation: 28 days.TurkeyWork hours: At 47.7 hours per week, workers here spend among the most hours among industrialized nations at work.Parental leave: 16 weeks at 66% of salary.Annual paid vacation: 12 days (and 14 public holidays).NORTH AMERICACanadaWork hours: Canadians average 36.6 hours per week at their desks.Parental leave: 15 weeks. Parents can split a year of leave at 55% of their salaries.Annual paid vacation: 10 and up to 10 public holidays.The USWork hours: Officially supposed to be 40 hours per week, but a Gallup poll last year said it was between 46.7-49 hours per week.Parental leave: The US is among the four nations that do not guarantee parents paid time off. The other three are Liberia, Swaziland, and Papa New Guinea.Annual paid vacation: Again, the US has no legislation that mandates paid vacation time for employees.SOUTH AMERICABrazilWork hours: 44 hours per week, split into 8 hours on weekdays and 4 hours on Saturdays.Parental leave: 17 weeks.Annual paid vacation: 30 days excluding 11-15 public holidays.ChileWork hours: 42.5 hours per week.Parental leave: 24 weeks for mothers.Annual paid vacation: 15 days.MIDDLE EASTIsraelWork hours: Israelis average 40.5 hours a week at work.Parental leave: 14 weeks; father can take leave from the 6th to the 14th week.Annual paid vacation: 10 days.ASIAJapanWork hours: Japan has mandated a 40-hour work week but upto 22.3% of its employees work 50 hours or more a week on average.Parental leave: 14 weeks maternity leave at 60% salary.Annual paid vacation: 10 days.KoreaWork hours: At 44.5 hours, Koreans clock among the highest average work hours.Parental leave: 90 days maternal leave at 90% salary.Annual paid vacation: 15 days.Hong KongWork hours: In the absence of legislation regarding working hours, the average worker here puts in 49 hours at work per week.Parental leave: 10 weeks maternal leave at 80% salary. Fathers get 3 days at 80% salary.Annual paid vacation: 7 days.SingaporeWork hours: Singapore mandates a 44-hour work week.Parental leave: 16 weeks for mothers, 1 week for fathers.Annual paid vacation: 7 days. Singapore has more public holidays — 11.AUSTRALIAWork hours: Aussies average a 36 hours at work per work. They are also entitled to time off if they want to do community service work.Parental leave: 18 weeks at minimum wage.Annual paid vacation: 20 days.Source:OECD, Wikipedia

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