REMOTE WORKING – The Outer Hebrides is named the best place to live for work-life balance
As Brits continue to spend an extensive amount of time at home, the importance of maintaining a good work-life balance has never been so vital. For their 2021 Work-Life Balance Index, the personal finance experts at money.co.uk have delved through ONS data to uncover where in Britain is best situated for its residents to achieve a good work-life balance.
And the answer is to leave the mainland. The Outer Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland, is officially the best place in Britain to live and work in the most balanced way. Residents on the scenic islands were found to rank highly on all positive lifestyle related factors (happiness (7th), serenity (6th), life satisfaction (3rd)).
The islands have a significantly low unemployment rate, compared with the rest of the country (2.8% vs 5%). Workers also possess a good balance of hours worked weekly (35), and a solid year on year (YoY) pay increase (+9.8% vs UK average of +3%). Not to mention access to incredible views and an abundance of nature.
The South West district of West Devon also scored strongly on the index and secured second place. Ranking fourth for happiness in the country and fourth for life satisfaction. On average, workers are spending 32.8 hours at work weekly, and the unemployment rate is almost half of the UK average (2.6% vs 5%).
In third is North East Derbyshire. The local authority ranks high for life satisfaction levels (sixth), and 94% residents possess private outdoor spaces, enhancing their wellbeing, away from office hours.
Additionally, YoY pay for workers in the region sits high at +10.8%, and unemployment levels are two fifths of the UK average (3%).
Workers living in both the South East of England and Scotland have the best work-life balance. Analysis for the index reveals that 40% of the top 20 is dominated by the two regions collectively.
Despite London dominating the category of access to parks and playing fields, the capital falls short for other factors, resulting in a low average work-life balance score of 37.78 points.
Wales, The North East and Yorkshire and The Humber, have no districts represented in the top 20.
