The notion of productivity is effectively a simple one: how to get most out of your workforce.

But doing so without detriment to their happiness, health, or willingness to work, is a challenge that many countries and companies face year in, year out.

Employee satisfaction is something we talk about all the time, with millions around the country discussing everything from holidays and lunch breaks to working hours, salaries and perks. But what really are the best working conditions, and how do they affect productivity?

Although the debate around working hours and productivity in the UK could no doubt be argued for hours, if not days, weeks or months, taking a global view on productivity highlights how diversely countries and employers are attempting to tackle the issue. 

While some countries opt to combat this with shorter working hours (to great success), and others opt for lighter perks, from free lunches to afternoon snoozes, these are 10 ways by which countries are attempting to help improve the productivity of their workforce: