Out-of-office hours: Which industries offer the best work-life balance?

A healthy work-life balance is a state in which the demands and opportunities of your personal life aren’t overshadowed by the demands of your responsibilities at work. Achieving this balance means having enough time to socialize, relax, rest, and pursue leisure activities completely independent of work hours.

To find out which industries and jobs offer the best work-life balance, we’ve analyzed jobs in 22 different fields to create an overall ranking. This ranking is based on a range of factors that contribute toward a healthy work-life balance. 

The factors we considered are the following:

1. Average salary

2. Annual bonus pay

3. Employee turnover

4. Job satisfaction rating

5. Median hours worked

6. Median hours of overtime worked

7. Percentage of remote jobs

8. Work/life balance rating

9. Average number of days of annual leave

We’ve also included a list of jobs with the best work-life balance based on U.S. News’ Best Jobs ranking. Our findings are here to provide you with valuable insights when considering your career options or wanting to improve your current work-life balance.

What is work-life balance?

Work-life balance means maintaining an equilibrium between professional responsibilities and personal life activities. It’s about finding a manageable ratio between time spent on work — including career advancement, work-related duties, and professional growth — and time spent on personal activities, like leisure, family, hobbies, rest, and self-care.

The concept of work-life balance varies from person to person, depending on individual needs, career goals, and personal life circumstances. It’s also influenced by the workplace environment, the flexibility of working hours, the demand of the job, and personal commitments and aspirations.

A good work-life balance ensures that you are addressing all aspects of life, which contributes to improved mental health, reduced stress, and better overall quality of life.

A 2021 report from the World Health Organization (WHO) found that workers with poor work-life balance are more likely to experience heart disease, stroke, and negative mental health effects. What’s more, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety — leading to $1 trillion per year in lost productivity.

It’s important to note that achieving a work-life balance doesn’t necessarily mean splitting your time equally between your work and personal life. Rather, it’s about blending your work and personal life, acknowledging that they influence each other.

The best industries for healthy work-life balance

While work-from-home policies have given employees more freedom over their schedules, those same policies have also made it much harder for some people to switch off and stop working. In fact, half of Americans consider themselves modern-day workaholics.

Since March 2020, the lines between work time and personal time have become blurred like never before. Communication technologies such as Slack and Zoom mean we’re able to contact (and be contacted by) work colleagues at home and outside of work hours. In the era of asynchronous work, “work hours” may not even exist for many companies.

Asynchronous work and location flexibility provide incredible freedom, but they can also create pressure to always be available, making it more difficult to achieve a genuine work-life balance and truly switch off outside work hours. Some people even feel a need to replace the time that they would have spent commuting to and from work with extra tasks, which means they’re starting earlier and finishing later — and, often, never fully logging off.

Employees and employers should both care about addressing this problem. Consistently poor work-life balance can cause lasting damage to a company’s culture, resulting in poor job satisfaction levels, high absenteeism, decreased quality of work, and a high employee turnover rate. To prevent these situations, employers should follow in the footsteps of companies in our top three best industries for a healthy work-life balance.

The table below ranks the best industries to work in for a healthy work-life balance.

Finance and Insurance industry is the best for work-life balance

Our analysis reveals that the industry offering its employees the best work-life balance across all metrics analyzed is the Finance and Insurance sector.

While this may seem surprising, there are several areas where Finance and Insurance ranked above other sectors. For example, the industry has the highest average salary at £62,244, which is over four times the salary of those working in Accommodation and Food Services, who receive an annual salary of £15,048. With the cost of living on the rise at the moment, how much you earn is incredibly important to achieving a positive work-life balance.

In addition to salary, the average weekly working hours in the Finance and Insurance industry sit at 35 hours, which is slightly lower than the average number worked by full-time workers in the U.K. at 36.5 hours per week. The Construction sector has the highest weekly working hours at just under 40.

The BBC reports that fewer weekly working hours can help employees feel more rested and more able to juggle their responsibilities outside of work, as well as keep burnout at bay, making this metric key to a good work-life balance.

Preventing burnout is easier when employees have plenty of opportunities for time away from work. The Finance and Insurance industry ranks in the top 10 for the number of days of annual leave, with employees granted an average of 27 days a year to spend away from their jobs.

This industry also ranks among the top 10 industries for job satisfaction, with employees reporting an average score of 3.85 out of 5. Employees in this industry also report a score of 3.67 out of 5 for life/work balance, which despite being the 14th highest score out of all industries, is still a decent rating. The highest score reported is just 3.9, so Finance and Insurance is not far behind.

Better work-life balance means lower employee turnover

Finance and Insurance professionals have the lowest employee turnover rate of every industry we analyzed — with just 25%, compared to an average turnover of 65% across other industries.

It’s no surprise this industry ranks highest in our work-life balance score. This industry has one of the highest percentages of remote job offerings, high compensation rates, and high annual leave provisions. Employers who can provide a combination of competitive monetary compensation alongside flexible working conditions can create a strong total rewards program that can attract and retain top talent.

Workers who feel that their employers actively support their work-life balance typically experience higher levels of job satisfaction and are, therefore, less likely to jump ship to competitors who can offer a higher salary alone.

This is an important consideration for employers looking for ways to bolster their recruitment processes and attract a consistent stream of high-quality candidates. In fact, Forbes reports that more than 80% of millennial workers — who now make up 50% of the workforce — say they “seriously consider how a position will affect their work-life balance” when searching for a new role.

The education industry offers the second-best work-life balance thanks to more time away from work

With low working hours and plenty of annual leave, the Education industry offers the second-best work-life balance, according to our analysis.

Employees in the Education sector work an average of just 32.5 hours per week, which is the second lowest after the Accommodation and Food industry (26-hour average working week).

On top of this, the Education industry ranks number one for annual leave, offering an average of 29 days of leave per year, excluding bank holidays.

Despite the sector’s relatively low average salary of £28,550 and one of the lowest amounts of bonus pay (£67 p/a), it still ranks fourth for job satisfaction (3.98 out of 5) and comes in second overall for work/life balance rating (3.87 out of 5).

Considering that the Education sector has the second-lowest turnover rate at 42%, it’s clear to see a positive work-life balance is not always about the money. While higher salaries do contribute to a good work-life balance by decreasing money worries and enabling more spending on things we enjoy, they aren’t necessarily the most important contributing factor.

Architecture and Engineering rank third for work-life balance

The third-best industry for a good work-life balance is Architecture and Engineering.

This industry ranks as the best for those looking for remote working opportunities, with over 11% of job roles offering this in their job advertisements. This figure is significantly higher than other sectors, including Veterinary (0.18%), Accommodation and Food Services (0.27%), and Transport and Storage (0.31%). Even office-based jobs in Public Administration, Legal and Accounting, and Information and Communication fall short of remote opportunities at 7.13%, 5.96%, and 6.1%, respectively.

Remote work can drastically improve work-life balance, offering employees the opportunity to be much more flexible with their schedules. Flexibility and the option to choose our own work environment can lead to a healthier balance between our work and home lives, decreasing stress and improving productivity.

As well as offering the most remote opportunities for workers, job satisfaction amongst Architecture and Engineering employees ranks third highest at 3.99/5, only beaten by Construction and Manufacturing.

The industry also ranks among the top 10 for annual leave at 26 days and also features as one of the best for annual salary at £34,903.

For further information on each industry’s efforts to create a positive work-life balance, please see the full findings below. The top industries are broken down into two tables, with the first showcasing how they score for more traditional work-life balance metrics such as average salary, employee turnover, and hours worked, and the second displaying progressive metrics such as % of remote jobs available, average annual leave and overall job satisfaction.

*Metrics that are also factored in this analysis include avg. annual bonus pay, total number of jobs, and total number of remote jobs. Average weekly working hours and overtime hours have been combined in the table above; however, they were taken separately in a full dataset here.

Jobs with the best work-life balance

Now that we’ve looked at the top industries for work-life balance, let’s take a closer look at jobs that are associated with a more balanced life. 

Below is a list of the nine best jobs for work-life balance. These occupations prioritize the importance of time outside of work, allowing employees to thrive both personally and professionally.

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How is this work-life balance score calculated?

The above table is based on the U.S. News Best Jobs of 2023 rankings.

To create this list, editors at U.S. News looked at jobs that are expected to have the most openings from 2021 to 2031 based on information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They analyzed data regarding salary, unemployment rate, and stress to select the top 100 jobs of the year.

Through interviews and reviews of related studies, U.S. News assigned work-life balance and stress level scores for each job. Stress levels were based on each job’s work environment and the complexity of the responsibilities involved. Flexibility and alternative working schedules were also taken into account.

These work-life balance ratings are then turned into scores on a scale of 10. A “high” rating equaled 10 points. An “above-average” rating meant eight points. A job with an “average” rating received six points. “Below average” equaled four points, and finally, a “low” rating corresponded to two points — the lowest possible score.

The benefits of jobs with good work-life balance

The importance of work-life balance goes beyond personal satisfaction; it significantly contributes to both personal and professional growth. When work and life are in harmony, employees are not the only ones who benefit — employers also reap substantial rewards. 

Here are some benefits of jobs that prioritize work-life balance for both employees and their organizations.

Increased diversity in leadership

According to Harvard Business Review, when companies provide benefits like flexible work schedules, family leave, and childcare support, the representation of women and people of color in management positions increases. 

This suggests that providing avenues to better juggle professional and personal commitments helps employees more effectively manage their time and obligations. A diverse leadership team can provide varied perspectives and foster innovation.

Better meet employees’ demands

A majority of professionals (63%) would choose a better work-life balance over better pay. Only 31% would choose better pay over work-life balance. This highlights that employees value the ability to balance their work and personal lives. 

Companies that offer a good work-life balance can attract and retain high-quality employees even if they can’t offer the highest salaries in the market. Happy and satisfied employees often translate into better productivity and efficiency.

Lower stress levels and better health

Numerous studies have shown that good work-life balance can lead to lower stress levels and better overall health. A poor work-life balance, on the other hand, often leads to burnout, stress, lower job satisfaction, and increased employee turnover. Overworking without enough personal time not only affects employees’ personal well-being but can also negatively impact their productivity and performance at work. 

How to improve work-life balance and employee well-being

The highest work/life balance score across all industries analyzed was just 3.9 out of 5, so there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

Increasing productivity during work hours is a key element of improving work-life balance for employees. The more effectively workers are able to manage their time and spend it working productively, the less likely they are to allow their work responsibilities to spill over into their personal time, which can lead to stress, burnout, and poor mental health.

Here are some ways employers can ensure their staff creates a healthy balance between work and life.

Recognize that a healthy work-life balance will look different for everyone

Your employees’ work-life balance can be affected by health concerns, childcare requirements, or other care responsibilities. Giving them the freedom to choose where they work and the hours they work, with remote and flexible schedule options, means they can construct the work-life balance that works for them. Offering more flexibility also supports diverse workforces and helps to attract talent from a wider range of backgrounds.

Nadia Vatalidis, Remote’s VP of People, says, “At Remote, we encourage belonging, inclusion, diversity, and equity (BIDE) and believe that the more diverse we become, the more attractive we are to a wider range of people who might consider Remote for their next career move. When you make this a non-negotiable, you create a space your future hires can thrive in.”

Provide training on how to identify stress and poor work-life balance

While employers and senior-level managers are responsible for putting measures in place to facilitate a healthy work-life balance, everyone within the company knows what to watch for when it comes to stress and burnout.

It’s important that this type of training is extended beyond management teams so each and every employee is empowered with the skills and knowledge required to support their fellow team members.

This can help to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures that have been put in place and ensure there is continual improvement in this area.

Set company-wide disconnect hours

Work-from-home policies can make it more difficult for employees to switch their devices off outside of work hours. Today, people often email and message one other about work matters during their personal time.

In response to the rise in remote work, Portugal recently banned employers from calling, texting, messaging, or emailing their staff outside of working hours to reinforce healthier work-life balances. Other countries are considering similar laws. While there is little legislation relating specifically to remote working in the U.K. at the moment, there’s nothing to stop companies from proactively introducing no-communication hours themselves.

Introduce a shorter workweek

Working five days with two days off each week is a generally accepted working pattern for full-time employees, but attitudes toward this are changing fast.

Globally, four-day workweek trials have largely been met with success, with productivity remaining the same or increasing in some companies across Iceland, Sweden, and Australia. Earlier this year, the U.K. launched perhaps the world’s largest pilot scheme for four-day workweeks, involving more than 3,000 workers at 60 companies across Britain.

Four-day workweeks aim to improve productivity and well-being without employees having to sacrifice the equivalent of a day’s worth of pay each week. So far, many organizations have discovered that employees on a four-day workweek actually surpass the productivity of employees on a five-day week.

Create clear boundaries between employees’ work and home lives

Remote’s senior people specialist, Keah Nguyen, advises employees to help their staff set clear boundaries between work and personal time. Nguyen says, “Remote encourages its employees not to have work apps on their phones and to master the art of working asynchronously. By switching to async workflows, team members can work at the hours that are best for them — and not during hours they would rather be doing something else."

Not only does an optimally balanced life-work split hold benefits for employees, but employers also benefit from a reduction in the costs associated with absenteeism and additional recruitment to cope with a high turnover rate. Improved balance means teams experience less stress, a lower risk of burnout, improved well-being, and a greater sense of loyalty.

At Remote, we take the view that life comes first. This is why, at our organization, we like to use the term life-work balance instead of work-life balance. It’s our way of challenging unhealthy attitudes toward work and reframing the conversation.

If you’re considering becoming a contractor and want to understand the nuances of setting up, we have a handy guide just for you. Download our free guide now and set yourself on the path to becoming a successful contractor with a healthy work-life balance.

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