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.

"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."

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%.

Meik Wiking, author of the book The Art of Danish Living, has long regarded his home country as a shining example of what other countries should aspire to mimic with their workplace policies.

"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........

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