The work-life balance of Oxford residents is amongst the highest in the UK, new research has revealed.

Research conducted by MoneySuperMarket showed the work-life balance of Oxford residents was given an average rating of 7.1 out of 10. 

This is rise on pre-pandemic levels when the work-life balance of residents was rated at 6.2, showing a 0.9 increase.

Neal Cross, life insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, commented: “There has been ongoing debate around the pros and cons of working from home during the pandemic.

“On one hand, with no commute, there has been increased family time or time to enjoy hobbies, but equally employees may feel pressure to work additional hours while at home.

“The pandemic has caused Brits to increase their work-life balance score by 0.4 points to give a total average score of 7.2 out of 10.

“Although this is a step in the right direction, many have experienced first-hand the impact of the pandemic, whether it has been causing an improvement or decline in their work-life balance, created a change in family dynamic, or even resulted in the loss a salary.

“As we adjust to these changes it’s important to make sure we have our priorities front of mind.” 

To undertake the research, MoneySuperMarket spoke with more than 2,000 households across the country to find out how the pandemic impacted their work-life balance.

On a scale of one to 10, with zero being low and 10 being high, the results showed that the average rating for work-life balance improved by 0.4 when compared to before the pandemic. 

How did Oxford rank? 

Results found Oxford was ranked one of the highest cities for work-life balance, tying places with Norwich, Liverpool and Leeds.

Plymouth, Bristol, and Sheffield report the highest work-life balance scores at 7.5 out of 10, with Plymouth showing the biggest difference from before the pandemic to now – rising 0.8 points.

At the other end of the scale, Belfast, Glasgow, and Leicester all score only 6.8 out of 10 for their work-life balance scoring. Moving up only 0.1 places, residents in Glasgow and Leicester are least likely to be happy with their work-life balance. 

What was the picture nationally?

Overall, the work-life balance of Brits rose during the pandemic to hit an average rating of 7.2 out of 10. Nearly one quarter (23%) of Brits agreed that their work-life balance has improved because they spend less time commuting.

However, men are more likely to feel this way than women, with 30% of men agreeing in comparison to only 17% of women. This has resulted in men having a higher work-life balance rating than women at 7.3 compared to 7.0 respectively.