Reviewing the scales of work-life balance in the Philippines

AS MILLENNIALS make up the bulk of workforces and Generation Zs come of age and slowly enter the workforce, the concept of work-life balance has proliferated and become the desire of most young Filipino professionals.

- By Jomarc Angelo M. Corpuz Special Features and Content Writer

After all, having enough hours to rest and time for oneself is a great factor in determining job satisfaction, mental well-being, and long-term career sustainability.

However, achieving this balance seems to still be a challenge in many industries in the Philippines, where long hours, high workloads, and the pressure to constantly be “always on” often clash with the very idea of personal time and rest.

Based on results from a study by the human resource platform Remote, the Philippines placed 59th out of 60 countries in the 2024 Global Life-Work Balance Index. The Philippines scored 27.46 out of 100 on the index, with Filipino employees averaging 40.63 work hours per week. The ranking took into account factors such as statutory annual leave, minimum statutory sick pay, paid maternity leave and its rate, minimum wage, healthcare quality, happiness levels, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) workplace inclusivity, and overall safety.

Telling a similar story, a study by medical insurance firm AXA shows that 87% of Filipino workers experience tiredness, trouble sleeping, stress and anxiety, loss of interest, difficulty concentrating, loss of self-confidence, feeling of worthlessness, and appetite or eating disorders as consequences of the work environment that they are a part of. According to the AXA Mind Health Study, that figure is 11% higher than the global average (76%), with half of the Filipino workforce even noting that they have gone through more than four of these consequences.