Work ethos or work ethic represents the degree to which individuals place work at or near the centre of their lives. Persons with a strong work ethic regard hard work as intrinsically good and as almost a moral duty. In contrast, they regard leisure somewhat suspiciously because of its potential to harm both persons and society as a whole. The level of work ethos for each European country can be calculated using the inhabitants' opinions about the following five statements:
To fully develop your talents, you need to have a job,
It is humiliating to receive money without having to work for it,
People who don't work, turn lazy,
Work is a duty towards society,
Work should always come first, even if it means less spare time.