Work weeks in different countries can vary significantly in length. It also depends on the traditions of the people, the responsibility of the people, and on the government's concern for its citizens.
Workaholics East and West
The inhabitants of the highly developed countries of the East - South Korea and Japan are recognized as the greatest workaholics on Earth. And this is not surprising: in order to raise the economy to such a high level and maintain the title of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, you need to work hard. The working week in Japan and South Korea lasts an average of 50-55 hours per week. And given the sometimes huge distances that residents of these countries cover in order to get to their workplace, it turns out that from early morning until late at night they spend at work or on the road. It is not surprising that the inhabitants of these countries have such a high percentage of deaths in the workplace, even at a fairly young age.
American and Chinese employees lag slightly behind their counterparts in Japan and South Korea. Corporate culture, work for results and the habit of staying in the office until late are characteristic of employees in the United States and China. Working hours here are determined by the 40-hour workweek, but these hours rarely manage to accommodate all the tasks that the employee is forced to perform in the face of enormous competition and management pressure. Therefore, the average working week in these countries stretches to 46 hours.
Delays at work are also common in Eastern Europe and Russia. And unlike overtime in the United States, there is a rare employer here who will pay an employee overtime. Even when the working day is forced to shorten during the period of economic instability, the employer is in no hurry to fulfill the labor contract, forcing employees to stay at the workplace for up to 42-45 hours a week.
Freedom from office slavery
Western Europeans enjoy the greatest freedom at work. Employers in France and Italy do not seek to detain workers in the office, because they will have to pay huge compensation for this: the residents of the European Union are well aware of their rights and are ready to defend them. In addition, the working hours of the EU countries are constantly decreasing. Offices rarely work after 17.00, and shops - after 20.00. Even service workers in supermarkets and many cafes have a rest on weekends. In France, office workers can only take 4 days a week, Monday through Thursday, providing long weekends for the whole family because school is also cut short.
On average, employees in France and Italy are employed at work about 35 hours a week, residents of England have to work a little more - about 39 hours a week. Such innovations appeared after the economic crisis, but Europeans are in no hurry to change the length of the working time.
