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Employee wellbeing isn’t just about direct stressors at work. To get a full picture we have to examine factors around work intensity, and financial security, as well as more indirect factors such as political stability and health. We’ve researched 16 European countries and provided data points across a variety of factors that contribute to employee wellbeing for World Wellbeing Week (commencing 27th June).

Check out the ranked data below as well as breakdowns for each country:

Financial Work intensity Emotional/health Total score
Ranking (worst to best) Country Average salary Disposable income Gross household saving rate Hours worked average Flexible working Alcohol/tobacco spend Stress Absence rate due to sickness Environment

(sustainability innovation)

Political stability
1 Poland 14 16 16 14 12 1 16 13 15 12.00 129
2 Czechia 15 13 7 11 13 9 15 14 11 7.00 115
3 Spain 12 14 15 8 11 2 11 10 8 15.00 106
4 Portugal 16 15 14 10 10 3 10 7 16 4.00 105
5 UK 8 11 13 1 16 11 6 2 13 13.00 94
6 Italy 13 12 11 9 10 4 7 7 4 14.00 91
7 Germany 7 7 2 12 8 7 12 16 5 10.00 86
8 Belgium 6 9 9 3 6 12 10 12 6 11.00 84
9 Austria 11 1 7 7 4 6 13 11 10 9 79
10 France 10 10 5 5 7 8 5 4 7 16.00 77
11 Norway 5 2 4 6 14 15 3 15 9 2.00 75
12 Iceland 1 3 10 16 2 16 2 9 14 1 74
13 Sweden 9 4 6 13 1 13 4 5 12 5 72
14 Switzerland 2 5 1 15 15 10 14 1 2 3 68
15 Netherlands 3 8 3 2 5 5 10 8 3 9 56
16 Denmark 4 6 12 4 3 14 1 3 1 6 54

Scores

16: worst in Europe

13-15: extremely poor

10-12: poor

7-9: moderate 

4-6:  good 

2-3: extremely good

1:  the best in Europe 

 

1. Poland 

Ranks the worst in Europe on ⅔ of financial security factors 

Ranks extremely poorly on average salary, average amount of hours worked, stress levels, sickness absence rate, and the environment 

Ranks poor on political stability

Ranks the best in Europe on alcohol and tobacco spend (low spend)

 

2. Czechia 

Ranks extremely poorly on average salary, disposable income, flexible working, stress and absence rate due to sickness 

Ranks poorly on average hours worked and the environment

Ranks moderately on gross household saving rate, alcohol and tobacco spend and political stability 

 

3. Spain 

Ranks extremely poorly on disposable income and gross household saving rate, as well as political stability 

Ranks poorly on average salary, flexible working, stress levels, and sickness absence rate

Ranks moderately on average hours worked and the environment 

 

4. Portugal 

Ranks worst in Europe on average salary and the environment

Ranks extremely poorly for disposable income and gross household saving rate 

Ranks poorly for average hours worked, flexible working and stress levels

Ranks moderately for sickness absence

Ranks good for political stability and extremely good for alcohol and tobacco spend

 

5. UK

Ranks worst in Europe for flexible working 

Ranks extremely poorly for gross household saving rate, environment, and political stability

Ranks poorly for disposable income and alcohol/tobacco spend

Ranks moderately for average salary

Ranks good for stress levels

Ranks extremely good for sickness absence rate

Ranks best in Europe for average hours worked 

 

6. Italy

Ranks extremely poorly for average salary and political stability

Ranks poorly for disposable income, gross household saving rate and flexible working

Ranks moderately for average hours worked, stress, sickness absence rate

Ranks good for environment and alcohol/tobacco spend

 

7. Germany 

Ranks worst in Europe for absence rate due to sickness 

Ranks poorly for average hours worked, stress and political stability

Ranks moderately for average salary, disposable income, alcohol and tobacco spend, flexible working

Ranks good for the environment 

Ranks extremely good for gross household saving rate 

 

8. Belgium 

Ranks poorly for alcohol/tobacco spend, political stability and stress

Ranks moderately for disposable income, gross household saving rate

Ranks good for average salary, flexible working and the environment

Ranks extremely good for average hours worked 

 

9. Austria

Ranks extremely poorly for stress

Ranks poorly for average salary, sickness absence rate and the environment 

Ranks moderately for gross household saving rate, average hours worked and political stability 

Ranks good for flexible working and alcohol and tobacco spend

Ranks best in Europe for disposable income 

 

10. France 

Ranks worst in Europe for political stability

Ranks poorly for average salary and disposable income

Ranks moderately for flexible working, the environment and alcohol and tobacco spend

Ranks good for gross householdsaving rate, average hours worked, stress and work related absence

 

11. Norway

Ranks extremely poorly for flexible working, alcohol/tobacco spend and sickness absence rate

Ranks moderately for the environment

Ranks good for average salary, gross household saving rate, average hours worked

Ranks extremely good for disposable income,stress, and political stability

 

12. Iceland 

Ranks worst in Europe for average working hours and alcohol/tobacco spend

Ranks extremely poor for absence rate 

Ranks poor for gross household saving rate

Ranks moderate for absence rate due to sickness 

Ranks extremely good for disposable income, flexible working, stress 

Ranks best in Europe for political stability 

 

13. Sweden 

Ranks extremely poor for average hours worked and alcohol/tobacco spend

Ranks poor for environment

Ranks moderate for average salary 

Ranks good for disposable income, gross household saving rate, stress, sickness absence rate and political stability

Ranks best in Europe for flexible working 

 

14. Switzerland

Ranks extremely poor for average hours worked, flexible working, stress

Ranks poor for alcohol/tobacco spend 

Ranks good for disposable income 

Ranks extremely good for average salary, environment and political stability

Ranks best in Europe for gross household saving rate and absence rate due to sickness 

 

15. Netherlands

Ranks poor for stress 

Ranks moderate for disposable income, sickness absence rate, and political stability

Ranks good for flexible working and alcohol and tobacco spend

Ranks  extremely good for average salary, gross household saving rate, average hours worked, and the environment

 

16. Denmark

Ranks extremely poor for alcohol and tobacco spend

Ranks poor for gross household saving rate

Ranks good for average salary, disposable income, average hours worked, political stability

Ranks extremely good for flexible working and absence rate

Ranks best in Europe for stress levels 

For further details, see the unranked data below: 

Country Average salary Basic hours worked Alcohol, tobacco spend per capita (dollars) Work-related stress/burnout Sickness absence rate Percentage of people usually working remote Disposable income Innovation score in sustainability Gross household saving rate Political stability index
United Kingdom 47,147 36.5 846.13 46% 4.6 4.70% 24,508 77.5 7% 0.47
Austria 43,030 38.7 746.87 53% 12.7 18.10% 37,001 104.5 13% 0.85
Belgium 54,327 38.3 853.68 50% 12.9 17.20% 26,401 118.5 12% 0.59
France 45,581 38.5 765.73 45% 8.9 15.70% 25,991 114.9 14% 0.31
Germany 53,745 39.5 747.98 51% 19.9 14.80% 29,539 118.6 18% 0.67
Netherlands 58,828 38.1 696.56 50% 12 17.80% 26,838 124.8 17% 0.85
Switzerland 64,824 42.9 833.01 55% 2.4 4.90% 29,977 125.3 21% 1.19
Czechia 29,885 39.3 809.03 59% 16.3 7.20% 19,847 95.9 13% 0.92
Poland 32,527 40.7 480.95 66% 14.3 8.90% 17,430 62.2 4% 0.57
Italy 37,769 39.2 531.77 49% 11.7 (avg.) 12.20% 22,142 124.6 10% 0.44
Portugal 28,410 39.3 513.01 50% 11.7 (avg.) 13.90% 18,567 38.9 7% 1.03
Spain 37,922 38.9 496.95 51% 12.3 10.90% 19,183 114.3 6% 0.4
Denmark 58,430 38.4 936.18 27% 8.5 27% 29,606 130.7 8.17% 0.94
Iceland 67,458 43.5 1574.1 28.6 (avg. of nordic countries) 12.2 29.30% 32,206 (average of nordics) 68.2 11.8% (avg. nordics) 1.39
Norway 55,780 38.7 1157.21 29.00% 16.8 6.80% 35,725 112.7 15.52% 1.25
Sweden 47,020 40.4 877.82 30% 10.6 37% 31,287 90.8 13.26% 1.02

 

If you’re interested in supporting your team to improve their mental health in the workplace, why not check out our free Workplace Wellbeing Downloads available here.

 

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