These Are The Best Cities For Work-Life Balance

If there's one thing all of us crave, especially after living through a pandemic, it's a decent work-life balance. For the sake of our mental health and general wellbeing, weekend WhatsApps from the boss and post-6pm Zoom meetings are just not the one.

With this in mind, it's definitely interesting to check out a new list of the best cities worldwide for work-life balance. It was compiled by tech company Kisi by taking into account each city's "work intensity" – including paid vacation days, paid parental leave and options for remote working – as well as its affordability.

Each city's inclusivity was also factored in, with a particular emphasis on gender equality and LGBTQ+ acceptance.

Norway's capital Oslo finishes top of the list, followed by Bern – which alongside Zurich and Geneva, is of three Swiss cities in the top ten.

In Finland's capital Helsinki, which places third on the list, employees take an average of 30 paid vacation days a year. That's nine more than the average of 21 paid vacation days taken in UK cities like London, Liverpool and Glasgow.

Meanwhile, in German cities including Berlin, Bonn and Stuttgart, employees take an average of 26 paid vacation days a year.

The top-ranking UK cities on the list are Liverpool and Glasgow, which placed 24th and 25th respectively. Not helped by its high cost of living, London is only 27th, which is down from 20th last year and 12th in 2019. Manchester is a few places behind in 31st, while Dublin places 37th.

"Recent years have tested the support structures in place for employees around the world,” said Kisi's CEO Bernhard Mehl. "The ongoing stress and disruption brought about by the pandemic has been followed by war in Ukraine, contributing to global instability that will be felt for years to come."

You can check out the full rankings here.