As keyless security experts, a company called Kisi believes it is the authority in knowing the difference between working smart and working hard. As such, working smarter is definitely much better than working harder, because if you work smart, then you don’t have to work hard!
Under the premise that working too much in the job will interfere with life outside work (it also works the other way around), Kisi conducted a study to determine which cities in the world had the best work-life balance.
While work intensity was still measured, the company also looked into the city livability plus the society and institutions that are easily accessible by its workers.
For its 2019 Work–Life Balance Index, Kisi explained that the study does not aim to highlight the best cities to work in or find a use as a city livability index.
SEE ALSO: Pinay boss tells workers to go home and choose their family over work
Instead, Kisi explained that the study “aims to be a guideline for cities to benchmark their ability to support the fulfillment of residents’ lives by improving the aspects of life that help relieve work-related stress and intensity.”
Results: Cities with Best Work-Life Balance
Based on data gathered, Kisi released the following list of cities with the best work-life balance, ranked from highest to lowest:
Study
Not all cities were included in the study. Instead, Kisi came up with a shortlist of 40 cities from metropolises across the world that attract professionals and families through plenty of work opportunities and diverse lifestyle offerings.
For scoring, the study uses the following factors:
Work Intensity Score:
Society & Institutions Score
City Livability Score
Kisi aims to expand the study in the future to include more cities “as data becomes more widely available.”
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
Under the premise that working too much in the job will interfere with life outside work (it also works the other way around), Kisi conducted a study to determine which cities in the world had the best work-life balance.
While work intensity was still measured, the company also looked into the city livability plus the society and institutions that are easily accessible by its workers.
 |
| Photo taken in Oslo, Norway. |
For its 2019 Work–Life Balance Index, Kisi explained that the study does not aim to highlight the best cities to work in or find a use as a city livability index.
SEE ALSO: Pinay boss tells workers to go home and choose their family over work
Instead, Kisi explained that the study “aims to be a guideline for cities to benchmark their ability to support the fulfillment of residents’ lives by improving the aspects of life that help relieve work-related stress and intensity.”
Results: Cities with Best Work-Life Balance
Based on data gathered, Kisi released the following list of cities with the best work-life balance, ranked from highest to lowest:
- Helsinki, Finland
- Munich, Germany
- Oslo, Norway
- Hamburg, Germany
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Berlin, Germany
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Barcelona, Spain
- Paris, France
- Vancouver, Canada
- Ottawa, Canada
- London, United Kingdom
- Toronto, Canada
- Budapest, Hungary
- Sydney, Australia
- Milan, Italy
- San Diego, USA
- Melbourne, Australia
- Portland, USA
- San Francisco, USA
- New York, USA
- Boston, USA
- Seattle, USA
- Las Vegas, USA
- Denver, USA
- Los Angeles, USA
- Austin, USA
- Washington DC, USA
- Chicago, USA
- São Paulo, Brazil
- Philadelphia, USA
- Singapore, Singapore
- Miami, USA
- Cleveland, USA
- Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Houston, USA
- Atlanta, USA
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Tokyo, Japan
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Study
Not all cities were included in the study. Instead, Kisi came up with a shortlist of 40 cities from metropolises across the world that attract professionals and families through plenty of work opportunities and diverse lifestyle offerings.
For scoring, the study uses the following factors:
Work Intensity Score:
- ≥ 48 Hours of Work/Week (%)
- Arrival Time AM
- Commuting (one-way, minutes)
- Hours Worked/Week
- Minimum Vacations Offered
- Paid Maternal and Parental leave (days)
- Unemployment (%)
- Vacations Taken
Society & Institutions Score
- Access to Mental Healthcare Score
- Gender Equality Score
- Healthcare Score
- LGBT Equality Score
- Social Spending (% of GDP)
City Livability Score
- Air Pollutants (µg/m3)
- City Stress Score
- Happiness Score
- Leisure Score
- Outdoor Spaces Score
- Safety Score
- Wellness and Fitness Score
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| Photo taken in Helsinki, Finland. |
Kisi aims to expand the study in the future to include more cities “as data becomes more widely available.”
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
