How Europe Can Learn from Portugal’s Work-Life Balance

Businesses around the globe are re-evaluating their work culture. There was a time, not so long ago, when the expectation was that to be successful, the employee must sacrifice everything for work. A toxic, macho culture of endurance became the norm. To want a home life and leisure activities was seen as a weakness, a lack of commitment. The results of these working practices were high levels of employee stress, burnout and reduced productivity. When we are happy and stress free, we are more creative and more productive and thankfully, employment is changing in recognition of this.

Portugal has a tradition of valuing a positive work-life balance. The family and the church are at the centre of Portuguese culture, not the workplace. There’s also the climate of course, 300 days of sunshine is an incentive to enjoy the simple pleasures of life: a leisurely meal, a market stall conversation. With the arrival of global tech giants, the world of work is developing fast in Portugal, but the government is keen to ensure that a positive work-life balance is maintained.

Rest time is protected by law

As of November 2021, it is illegal for employers to contact their employees at home, unless it is an emergency. Employees are guaranteed an uninterrupted period of 11 hours ‘night rest’ and are eligible for financial compensation when using their domestic electricity and internet for work purposes. Countries which have strong workplace laws are among those identified as being the ‘happiest.’

Portuguese workers have a shorter working week

The average working week for full-time workers in Portugal is 40.7 hours, that’s over an hour less than their British counterparts. In a future where technology increasingly replaces the need for human operatives there will be less need for us to work a full working week. This is a social change which is not always universally welcome, unions often regard a decrease in working hours as an attack on worker’s rights, rather than a desirable development. Contrary to popular belief however, shorter working weeks do not necessarily result in lower productivity because well rested employees work more efficiently.

Low-cost office space

With some of the cheapest inner-city office space in Europe, Portugal provides working environments with lower overheads than elsewhere in Europe, and that means lower stress.

Remote working is on the rise

It’s hard to find positive changes resulting from the global pandemic but the success of remote working is certainly one of them. Previously, employers feared that productivity would suffer and that employees would simply ‘goof off’ if allowed to work from their own homes. The reality proved to be very different, if anything, workers were more productive, and their leisure time was increased because they no longer had to commute. With fewer cars being driven to work the environment also benefitted. Portugal has embraced remote working and the co-working spaces available in Lisbon have become a magnet for tech nomads from around the globe, who are attracted by the lifestyle, climate, and low cost of living. The island of Madeira has gone one step further by creating a ‘Digital Nomad Village,’ complete with high-speed broadband and attractive co-working spaces.

Jack Potter

“Entrepreneur. Freelance introvert. Creator. Passionate reader. Certified beer ninja. Food nerd.”