MANILA, Philippines – Filipino workers are among the worst of their economic neighbors in getting enough work-life balance, a new study from global human resource platform Remote found.

Remote’s Global Life-Work Balance Index 2024, which compared data among the top 60 gross domestic product (GDP) countries, ranked the Philippines 59th out of 60 in work-life balance.

The Philippines scored 27.46 points, with the highest possible score at 100. It beat only Nigeria, which had a score of 16.15.

The study looked at various factors in determining work-life balance. These were the following, along with the Philippines’ scores:

• Total days of paid leave, including public holidays (17)
• Percent of wage, or flat amount in sick pay (N/A)
• Weeks paid in maternity leave (8.6 or around 60 days, although Philippine law allows for 105 days of maternity leave)
• Minimum wage measured in USD per hour (1.45)
• Healthcare system (N/A)
• Happiness Index score (6.04, although the 2024 World Happiness Report‘s score for the Philippines was 6.05)
• Average hours worked per week (40.63)
• Inclusivity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+ (LGBTQ+) community (57 out of 100)
• Safety based on Global Peace Index (2.23, where 1 is the best)

Other Southeast Asian countries that were included in the Life-Work Balance Index were Singapore (26th), Vietnam (37th), Thailand (39th), Indonesia (43rd), and Malaysia (47th).

Filipino workers work an average of 40.63 hours per week, with a minimum wage of $1.45 an hour. Combining these factors leads to the average minimum wage worker earning around $58.91, or P3,448.21 a week.

The Philippines did not have the most average working hours, however. Countries like the United Arab Emirates and Qatar were noted to be the most overworked nations, with around 50 and 48 average work hours per week, respectively.

These two countries, like other Gulf states, are popular host countries for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). According to Philippine Statistics Authority numbers as of 2022, the UAE was the second most popular destination, with over 260,000 OFWs, and Qatar had around 113,600. – Rappler.com

$1 = P58.53