Work-life balance
Why Danes finish work earlier and are still more productive
Denmark is living the work-life balance dream. Go to work at 9 a.m. and go home at 4 p.m. – without sacrificing productivity. Our author tried the Danish model.
This piece first appeared in September 2024.
“So!” shouts my colleague and courageously stands up from his swivel chair. “I’m going to call it quits and go enjoy the nice weather!”
It’s just before 4 p.m.
“Now?” I think, perplexed. “It’s not nearly 6 p.m. yet!” The German in me is reluctant to drop my pen at this time. I look around. The desks where journalists were just sitting diligently typing are now almost all deserted.
“Rune, you’re about to break up, right?” my colleague asks, already halfway down the hallway. “Sure, I just want to write two more emails and then I’ll go,” I fib.
My almost stuffy German work ethic and sense of duty keep me working until well after 5 p.m. This makes me an exception in the editorial team. Silence between black monitors. Almost all colleagues are gone.
Source: Stern
