10 countries with the most paid annual leave - one offers 48 days off a year

In the UK, employees working a 5-day week are entitled to a statutory 28 days of annual leave, which can include the eight bank holidays if the employer decides so. However, workers in other countries can receive nearly double this amount.

Health insurance experts at William Russell delved into the details to reveal the countries with the best work-life balance, highlighting 10 nations with the most annual leave days. Despite having a lower statutory entitlement than the UK, France tops the list with nearly 10 weeks of annual leave each year for some workers.

Several other European countries also make the list. When you go through the nations involved, it's hard as a Brit not to feel a little bit jealous. But then you might also wonder how much work will be getting done there as a result of all the time off.

Countries with the most paid days off:

• France - 48
• Denmark - 40
• South Korea - 40
• Poland - 39
• Estonia - 39
• Austria - 38
• Finland - 36
• Spain - 36
• Norway - 35
• Slovakia - 34

In France, full-time employees are entitled to a statutory 25 days of leave. However, the country has 11 national public holidays and employees working more than 35 hours a week can earn additional paid time off known as RTT days, according to the experts.

Following closely is Denmark with 25 statutory days plus 10 public holidays. Many employees also get an extra week of holiday through the Additional Sixth Week agreement.

Denmark also topped William Russell's list for the best workers' rights, with the average employee here working just 27 hours a week. Mothers are also entitled to up to 18 weeks of maternity leave.

In a joint second position, South Korea offers only 15 statutory days of annual leave for full-time employees. However, this increases as you progress in your career.

An employee who has been with the company for three years or more is entitled to an additional day of annual leave. An extra day is then added for every two years of continuous work, up to a maximum of 25 days.

Furthermore, South Korea also has 15 paid public holidays, bringing the total to 40 days for those who have worked long enough to earn the maximum additional days.