Most of us spend the majority of our waking hours at work, so it’s no surprise that work can have a big impact on our overall mental and physical health. Welfare.
While work can add stress, sadness, and anger to our lives, some people also find fulfillment, purpose, and happiness through work.
According to Gallup 2024 The state of the global workplace report, 34% of survey respondents globally said they were “thriving” while 58% said they were “struggling.” About 8% of those surveyed globally admitted they were “suffering” at work.
According to research, based on an overall life assessment, people who are thriving report “significantly fewer health problems and less anxiety, stress, sadness, loneliness, depression and anger.” angrier. They reported more hope, happiness, energy, care and respect.” , incorporating respondents’ perceptions of their position now and in the future.
The study aimed to evaluate the mental health and employee wellbeing, while measuring engagement through positive experiences such as growth and enjoyment, as well as negative experiences such as stress, anger, anxiety, sadness and loneliness .
Gallup’s World Poll surveyed the world’s adult population in more than 160 countries and regions around the world. Data for this report collected in 2023 includes results from more than 128,000 employed respondents.
Below are the 10 countries with the highest percentage of people saying they are thriving, according to Gallup research.
- Finland: 83%
- Denmark: 77%
- Iceland: 76%
- Netherlands: 71%
- Sweden: 70%
- Israel: 69%
- Norway: 67%
- Costa Rica: 62%
- Belgium: 60%
- Australia: 60%
European countries dominated the list with seven countries making the top 10. The region recorded the lowest percentage of employees who said they were “following or actively looking for a new job” and the percentage of employees “experiencing sadness on a daily basis” was the second lowest, according to the report.
Notably, Europe also recorded the “lowest employee engagement rate in the region”, at 13%, but the region is known for its strong labor protections, the report highlights. .
In contrast, according to the study, the United States ranked lower in labor protection but higher in employee engagement.
According to the report, people often contrast the ‘work to live’ culture of Western Europe with the ‘live to work’ mindset of the United States. Finally, “engaged employees in countries with strong Labor Rights laws have the best mental health.”
Australia is in the top 10 with 60% of respondents saying they are “thriving” and 21% saying they are engaged at work. In Costa Rica, 62% of respondents said they were “thriving,” while 34% said they were “engaged” at work.
Israel also makes the list as an outlier in the Middle East and North Africa region. The wider region recorded the highest proportion of employees “experiencing stress on a daily basis”, with 52% of respondents reporting this, compared to 39% in Israel.
Asia lags behind, but here are the top 10 countries in the region with the highest percentage of respondents saying they are thriving:
- Vietnam: 51%
- Taiwan: 41%
- Singapore: 39%
- Thailand: 37%
- Philippines: 36%
- China: 36%
- South Korea: 34%
- Malaysia: 31%
- Japan: 29%
- Mongolia: 29%
According to the report, “When employees perceive their work and work relationships as meaningful, employment is associated with high levels of daily enjoyment and low levels of all daily negative emotions. Notably, half of employees who are engaged at work are thriving in life in general.” .
Additionally, according to research, “when managers are engaged, employees are more likely to be engaged.” “In organizations with best practices, three-quarters of managers participate, as do seven out of 10 non-managers.”
The responsibility lies not only with employees but also with organizations. When companies implement the necessary labor protections and hire strong, engaged, and well-trained managers, engaged employees can thrive both in the workplace and life.
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