Israel one of top five worst countries to work in, study finds

Research reveals Israel is in the top five worst countries to work in when it comes to working conditions and benefits.

 TEACHERS DEMAND better pay and working conditions, as they demonstrate in Tel Aviv, in May. A sign reads: ‘Without teachers, there is no future.’ The shirt reads: ‘Fair salary now!’ (photo credit: TOMER NEUBERG/FLASH90)
TEACHERS DEMAND better pay and working conditions, as they demonstrate in Tel Aviv, in May. A sign reads: ‘Without teachers, there is no future.’ The shirt reads: ‘Fair salary now!’
(photo credit: TOMER NEUBERG/FLASH90)

Israel has made it to the top of another statistic, but this time, it isn't one to be proud of.

Israel is #5 in the list of the worst countries in the world in terms of work conditions and benefits.

The list was compiled by William Russell, an international insurance company. The company provided a detailed analysis of reasoning for rankings based on a large database of data.

The #1 worst country in terms of work conditions, according to the list, is Mexico, with a work and employment score of 0.47 out of 10. This is due to "low wages, annual leave and public holidays, as well as long working hours and systematic violations of workers’ rights in the country."

After Mexico - i.e. #2 worst country to work in in the world - is the US with a score of 2.37 out of 10 due to the lack of guaranteed maternity leave, paid public holidays and annual leave.

 A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE talks through the window of a school bus to one of the parents near the scene of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, last week. (credit: MARCO BELLO/REUTERS)
A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE talks through the window of a school bus to one of the parents near the scene of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, last week. (credit: MARCO BELLO/REUTERS)

#3 in the list is Greece with a score of 2.89 due to low salaries, long working hours and a lack of protection of workers' rights. Next is South Korea with a score of 3.23, and finally comes Israel with a score of 3.62.

What are the best countries to work in in the world?

The best countries to work in, in order, are Denmark, Finland and Norway

"Denmark combines average high salaries with low working hours, well-protected workers’ rights, and a minimum of 25 days of annual leave," according to William Russell, while Finland has "a particularly high score on the Labor Rights Index, indicating that Finland really is a country that cares about the average worker."

Israel's Labor Rights Index Score is a 69, in contrast to Finland, for example, which has a score of 93. The Labor Rights Index measures employment regulation affecting employees worldwide.

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That being said, Israel did quite well when it comes to weeks of maternity leave, offering 27 weeks, ranking #6 in the world in that regard below Estonia, the UK, Ireland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

However, Israel did have two repeated violations of workers' rights, plus an extremely high average weekly working hours (36.6 hours, in the top five most average working hours in the world).