Residents of South Korea have become leaders in terms of work efficiency, assessed in 32 countries worldwide based on the average annual number of 'working hours'. It turns out that for South Koreans, a six-day work week is the norm. For the sake of building a successful career, they are willing to sacrifice free time and agree to short vacations, sometimes not exceeding three days.
The South Korean government is trying to soften such a harsh working environment. In 2004, for example, a five-day work week was introduced in schools and companies with more than 1,000 employees. However, Michael Breen, author of the book 'The Koreans', notes that the country has an authoritarian corporate culture. According to him, employees can leave their workplace only after their supervisor has left.
Second place in this ranking goes to the Greeks. According to Gazeta.Ru, they devote 2,050 hours per year to work. Next come Eastern European countries – the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. The United States is in ninth place. Americans take about 10 days off per year. The United Kingdom is in 20th place thanks to a legally guaranteed vacation of about 20 days. Norway, Germany, and the Netherlands, with their 1,390 working hours, occupy the last lines of the ranking.