According to a new global study, Maltese workers have one of the longest trips to and from work in Europe.

Malta’s average commute of 40 minutes exceeded the European average of around half an hour, trailing only Sweden and Greece, where workers face trips of around an hour in each direction.

That still pales in comparison to the most daunting commute in the world, with employees in Nigeria travelling to and from work for a total of six hours a day, on top of their hectic 12-hour working day, leaving next to no relaxation time.

The research, by Printerland.co.uk, examined the daily habits of office workers around the world and found that globally, Finland and Canada are tied for the shortest working day, at just six hours and 45 minutes.

Malta’s average working day is a typical eight hours

Malta’s average working day, by comparison, is a typical eight hours – from 8am to 5pm – with a one-hour lunch break.

Factor in commuting time, and the average employee is away from home for 11 hours and 20 minutes every day, from 7.20am to 5.40pm.  That’s some way behind the longest shifts in Europe: the average workday for employees in Romania is nine hours and 45 minutes long, with just 20 minutes to scoff down lunch.

It’s Spanish workers who have the latest evenings due to the siesta, although the new research found that the afternoon nap isn’t as quite popular as it was.

Italy isn’t far off, with a typical lunch break of two and a half hours stretching the average clock-out to 7pm.

The study also reveals unique working habits from around the world: South Korean staff, for example, must attend informal meetings and staff dinners – considered rude to decline – which see them working as late as 9pm.

In Japan, after-work drinks can run until late. Arriving early and working overtime is expected and unpaid.

Meanwhile, in the United Arab Emirates, working hours are shortened during Ramadan for the whole working population.