In South Korea, a country known for its strong work ethic, a recent proposal to raise the maximum workweek from 52 to 69 hours has sparked a heated controversy between younger workers and the government over work-life balance. Despite the government’s claim that the increase in overtime would provide workers with more freedom, better quality of life, and increased family time, the proposal has faced significant opposition.
It prompted law firm Bisnar Chase to gauge American workers’ appetite for longer working hours. The firm commissioned QuestionPro to carry out a survey of 3,000 employees to determine their willingness to work longer hours.
Interestingly, the average worker in North Carolina said they could tolerate a 44.4 hour standard work week. This is 4.4 hours more than the current average work week of 40 hours. Nationally, Americans said they would be prepared to work 44.4 hours.
Workers in Delaware have the highest working thresholds, saying they could handle a 47.5 hour work week. On the other end of the scale, Montanans would reluctantly accept an increase of 1 hour, taking them up to 41 hours in total.