The importance of work-life balance
The importance of work-life balance has come into sharper focus since the COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us to reevaluate the divide between our work and personal lives, with the eyes of many employees opened to the benefits of a flexible work environment.
In particular, American employees seem to be increasingly concerned about work-life balance. With 60% of US workers claiming they struggle to create a boundary between work and home life, their physical and emotional health can suffer as a result.
A healthy life-work balance is about creating a harmonious relationship between our careers and personal lives so that we can excel at our jobs without negatively impacting our wellbeing. Hybrid or remote work is a great start, but it’s not the only measure of a good life-work balance. To measure balance accurately, a variety of factors need to be taken into account.
We’ve conducted an index data analysis to reveal the top US states in which to live and work in the United States for a strong life-work balance. We’ve considered a shortlist of critical factors including healthcare, minimum wage, maternity leave, statutory annual leave, sick pay, average hours worked per week, overall happiness levels, and LGBTQ+ inclusivity to paint a clear picture.
Which states come out on top? Read on to find out.
U.S Life-Work Balance States Ranking
| Rank | State | Capital | 2022 US State Population | Index Score / 100 | Statutory annual leave | Minimum statutory sick leave | Paid maternity leave | Payment rate | Minimum wage | Healthcare system | Happiness index | Average Hours Worked Per Week | LGBTQ+ Inclusivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Connecticut | Hartford | 3,612,314 | 66.86 | - | 5 | 12 | 95 | 14 | non-universal insurance system | 6.98 | 39.2 | 9 |
2 | Washington | Olympia | 7,901,429 | 62.79 | - | 5 | 12 | 90 | 14.49 | non-universal insurance system | 6.98 | 40.9 | 9 |
3 | New York | Albany | 20,365,879 | 62.75 | - | 5 | 12 | 67 | 13.2 | non-universal insurance system | 6.98 | 39.8 | 9 |
4 | California | Sacramento | 39,995,077 | 61.26 | - | 6 | 8 | 60 | 15 | non-universal insurance system | 6.98 | 41.4 | 9 |
5 | Rhode Island | Providence | 1,106,341 | 59.52 | - | 5 | 13 | - | 12.25 | non-universal insurance system | 6.98 | 38.6 | 8 |
6 | New Jersey | Trenton | 9,388,414 | 59.22 | - | 5 | 24 | 66 | 10.9 | non-universal insurance system | 6.98 | 41.3 | 9 |
7 | Oregon | Salem | 4,318,492 | 58.47 | - | 5 | - | - | 12.5 | non-universal insurance system | 6.98 | 38.3 | 9 |
8 | Vermont | Montpelier | 646,545 | 58.02 | - | 5 | - | - | 12.55 | non-universal insurance system | 6.98 | 38 | 8 |
9 | Maine | Augusta | 1,369,159 | 55.66 | - | 5 | - | - | 12.75 | non-universal insurance system | 6.98 | 40.1 | 9 |
10 | Massachusetts | Boston | 7,126,375 | 52.99 | - | 5 | - | - | 14.25 | non-universal insurance system | 6.98 | 41.3 | 8 |
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Top 10 US states for life-work balance
Here are the top 10 states in the United States of America that can offer you the best life-work balance. These 10 US states achieved the highest scores out of 100 in our index analysis:
2. Washington
Overall index score:62.79
Known for its snow-capped mountains and national parks, the state of Washington also boasts the largest concentration of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) talent in the US. Some of America’s most well-known brands such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks are headquartered here, too.
Washington-based workers are paid a minimum wage of $14.49 — second only to California — while women on maternity leave receive a 90% payment contribution. It’s also a very LGBTQ+-friendly state in which to work. Furthermore, Washington is one of only seven US states that does not levy a personal income tax.
5. Rhode Island
Overall index score:59.52
The smallest state in the US by land area, Rhode Island has the lowest population (around 1.1 million) of all the states in our top 10. Known for its scenic shoreline and colonial seaside towns, its major industries are healthcare, tourism, financial services, manufacturing, and education. It’s also renowned for the production of silverware and fine jewellery.
The Ocean State offers 13 weeks of statutory maternity leave (although no statutory maternity pay) and a reasonably high minimum wage of $12.25 per hour. Its average working week of 38.6 hours is 5% shorter than the national average, while it also meets 8 out of the 9 criteria for LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
8. Vermont
Overall index score:58.02
Known as the birthplace of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Vermont is a combination of natural beauty and small-town charm, with lush green mountains and various snow and ski resorts. Vermont’s gross regional GDP ranks as the second smallest among all 50 states, but it’s still among the top places to work in the US from a life-work balance perspective.
Vermont makes the top 10 due to a minimum wage of around 23% above the national average, five days of statutory sick pay, and a generally LQBTQ+ inclusive work environment. Workers in Vermont know when it’s time to clock off, too: their average working week of 38 hours is the shortest in the top 10, and one of the shortest in the country overall.
10. Massachusetts
Overall index score:52.99
As a global leader in biotechnology, engineering, and finance, Massachusetts is also renowned as a center for higher education. The country’s oldest and most prestigious university, Harvard, is based in Cambridge, MA, and the state boasts the highest degree-educated population in the US.
Massachusetts makes the top 10 list due to its generous minimum wage of $14.25 — 35% higher than the national average and the third highest in the country — and minimum statutory sick pay of five days per year. Expect to put in at least 41 hours a week if you work in Massachusetts, as it’s one of the busiest states in our top 10.
What is life-work balance and why is it so important?
Life-work balance is a working culture that understands that life should come before work — you’ll most often hear it called work-life balance, but we very deliberately refer to it the other way around. Our health (both physical and mental), our family commitments, and our leisure time should all take priority over our careers, and the demands put on us by our employers should never compromise our wellbeing. By putting life ahead of work, we hope to reframe worldwide conversations about how we spend our time.
A healthy life-work balance means you’re able to thrive in your chosen career without it negatively impacting other areas of your life. You should be able to comfortably meet deadlines and satisfy the expectations of your employer without having to put in regular overtime or be ‘switched on’ at all hours of the day.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case — especially in the United States, which is considered to be the most overworked nation in the developed world. The average American works 1,767 hours per year, which is significantly higher than many other nations, including most of Europe — you can learn more about life-work balance in Europe in our European Life-Work Balance Index.
More than three-quarters of full-time US workers have experienced burnout at their jobs, and this imbalance between life and work can lead to a host of negative consequences for physical and emotional health — not to mention your social life!
Businesses that commit to ensuring their employees can enjoy a healthy life-work balance are likely to have a more engaged — and consequently more productive — workforce, while employees who take care of their physical health are less likely to take sick days, too.
Here at Remote, we understand the importance of work-life balance, and we champion companies and organisations that prioritise employee wellbeing — we want to help as many people as possible to enjoy rewarding and fulfilling careers.
Whether you’re in the US and looking to relocate, or you’re an overseas employer thinking about hiring remotely in the US, see how our employer of record service can help.
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Methodology
Employer of record specialists, Remote, conducted this index data analysis to reveal which US States offer employees the best life-work balance.
The study reviewed the following indicators:
Statutory annual leave (total days of paid leave, including public holidays)
Minimum statutory sick leave (sick days available)
Statutory maternity leave (weeks paid)
Statutory maternity leave payment rate (percent of wage)
Minimum wage (USD per hour)
Healthcare status
Happiness index score (1-10, 10 being highest)
Average hours worked per week
LGBTQ+ Inclusivity (0-9, 9 being highest to reflect LGBTQ+ legislation and treatment across employment, housing, education, public accommodations, anti-conversion therapy, school anti-bullying, gender marker updates on ID documents, hate crimes and transgender healthcare.)
The goal of this study is to represent each state’s life-work balance accurately, reimagining the popular phrase work-life balance to showcase how businesses in each US state are looking to put life before work.
The metrics were adjusted with index weights (listed below) to reflect their relative importance, giving each state an overall score out of 100. All data points are ranked highest to lowest, apart from the healthcare rating which is ranked out of 5 (with 1 being the best) and average hours worked per week which was ranked lowest best.
(*) When a range was offered for a State’s statutory annual leave and minimum wage, the minimum amount was listed.
The data was collected and analysed in November 2022.