Work life balance | The key to the most effecient workers | denmark.dk

Stop by a Danish office at 5pm and nearly every desk will be empty.

While the Danes are hard workers, they prefer to do their jobs within Denmark’s 37 hour official work week. Staying extra hours is discouraged, and most employees leave at around 4pm to pick up their children and begin preparing the evening meal. 

If you try to visit a Danish office during the last weeks of July, you may find the doors locked entirely.

Business largely shuts down at this time of year, as the Danes take time off to enjoy the short Danish summer. Every employee is legally entitled to five weeks’ paid vacation per year, and the Danes are not shy about taking every minute of it.

Work-life balance is important in Denmark – people take pride in their work but do not feel the need to demonstrate their dedication by working long hours.