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Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Saturday, January 18, 2025

Gabriel Hoces repeats a word seven times when he discusses what it's like to work in Denmark - "trust". "No one is trying to micromanage you, or look over your shoulder," says Mr Hoces, who works for a tech firm in Copenhagen. "Bosses aren't coming in to check if you put in eight or nine hours a day, as they mainly only care if you completed your projects.

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"There's a lot of trust in Denmark in that way, and I don't feel a hierarchy at my job. It's all very democratic."

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"It is no surprise to Mr Hoces, a married father of two young daughters, that Denmark is consistently among the top-five countries in the world for work-life balance rankings.

Only 1.1% of Danes have to work 50 or more hours a week, according to the most recent global figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). That's a significantly lower proportion than the world average of 10.2%.

By contrast, the figure for the UK is 10.8% and the US is 10.4%."

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""Danes are actually happy at work," he tells the BBC. "Almost 60% of Danes say they would continue to work if they won the lottery and became financially independent."

Mr Wiking, who is also the boss of Danish think tank The Happiness Research Institute, shares several policies that help generate a strong work-life balance in Denmark.

These include the right to a minimum five weeks of paid annual leave per year, in addition to public holidays. In the UK most workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid leave, but in the US it can be as low as just 11 days.

Denmark also offers a very generous six months of paid maternity and paternity leave. In the UK the father, or non-birthing partner, typically gets one to two weeks of paid leave."

much more about how a rational capitalist social democracy werks well at the link

#1 | Posted by Corky at 2025-01-17 03:35 PM | Reply

Hot Nordic babes.

#2 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2025-01-17 05:56 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

That, too.

#3 | Posted by Corky at 2025-01-17 06:00 PM | Reply

Danes are part of a culture that really does frown on people screwing over others and expecting plaudits for their predatory behavior.

#4 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-01-18 07:30 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

Take reaganomics, then do the opposite = happy life.

#5 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2025-01-18 01:08 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 4

They're not paying for their "allies" universal healthcare systems while denying same to their own people.

#6 | Posted by morris at 2025-01-18 03:05 PM | Reply | Funny: 1 | Newsworthy 1

They're not paying for their "allies" universal healthcare systems while denying same to their own people.

Posted by morris at 2025-01-18 03:05 PM | Reply

COLD HARD TRUTH RIGHT THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#7 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-01-18 03:13 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

"Take reaganomics, then do the opposite = happy life."

The opposite of one extreme doesn't necessarily mean a happy life. Have you ever met any Danes? They're pretty boring, largely because they come from a country that's really boring and drab.

The grass is always Greenland on the other side.

#8 | Posted by sentinel at 2025-01-18 05:45 PM | Reply

Things are about to get a little less boring after Trump's phone call with Denmark's Prime Minister this weekend which was classified as "rough" and "threatening."

He was trying to make one of his famous "land deals."

Trump didn't seem to realize that Denmark can't sell Greenland any more than the President of the United States can sell Florida.

#9 | Posted by Twinpac at 2025-01-18 10:32 PM | Reply

any more than the President of the United States can sell Florida.

Lewzer could sell Alaska back to Putin.

#10 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-01-18 10:42 PM | Reply

The Greenland thing is just a distraction. Even Bill Maher and Larry Wilmore see it for what it is and refusing to take the bait.

Speaking of Real Time, the topic of work-life balance came up in the same episode, and both the "Liberal" and "Conservative" guests agreed that it was silly that some Congressional staffers were asking for a 32-hour work week, and that there are some jobs where people should be expected to work more and be held accountable. Of course, the Republican guest tried to spin everything ideologically, but Wilmore made a good point that Jimmy Carter's biggest flaw was that he a micromanager and agreed with Maher that there were some similarities between Trump and Carter and the types of voters they appealed to.

#11 | Posted by sentinel at 2025-01-18 10:52 PM | Reply

REDIAL

I'm sure he would if he could.

#12 | Posted by Twinpac at 2025-01-18 11:23 PM | Reply

I'm sure he would if he could.

I'm pretty sure he can.

#13 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-01-18 11:26 PM | Reply

Continue to steal from Africa to conceal budget shortfalls?

#14 | Posted by fresno500 at 2025-01-19 06:28 AM | Reply

"Hot Nordic babes."

I just spent a week in Norway. It is unreal how hot those girls are. And unfair.

I work mostly with the defense forces, which me and my crass colleagues refer to as the "Smokeshow Army."

It's ridiculous.

#15 | Posted by madbomber at 2025-01-19 10:11 AM | Reply

But more to the point...my job is not a 9-5 kind of thing. If I don't actually need to go into my office, I don't. In fact, it's better if I don't. Not so much for me, but for the other people who may need to access the systems available in my office. That doesn't mean we don't sometimes work 16-hour days, or spend weeks or months traveling, but no one is going to care where I am, provided that I am getting my work done.

And one of my colleagues who is a US military officer just had a baby in June. He is entitled to 12 weeks of paternity leave. he's taken seven days of it so far. He is hoping to take the rest here soon, but if there is work to be done, there is work to be done. And that will always come first.

#16 | Posted by madbomber at 2025-01-19 10:17 AM | Reply

A couple secrets they left out ... their draconian immigration policies, the prevalence of white supremacy, and one of the highest incidences of rape in the world. Denmark has lots of dirty secrets.

#17 | Posted by Miranda7 at 2025-01-19 11:49 PM | Reply

draconian immigration policies, the prevalence of white supremacy, and one of the highest incidences of rape in the world.

Are those relevant to the happy work-life balance the article is about?

#18 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-01-20 12:51 AM | Reply

I guess not, for a white guy.

#19 | Posted by Miranda7 at 2025-01-20 01:46 AM | Reply

It's ridiculous.

#15 | Posted by madbomber

I've lived my whole life in the US urban Northeast or urban and rural (exurban?) Southeast. Last summer around July 4 we went to Traverse City, MI. It was a beautiful day.

Land of the Blondes. Yowza. I think people also keep better in colder weather.

#20 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2025-01-20 02:15 AM | Reply

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