What workers want

French workers are the world's biggest whingers, according to a study which also says the Irish complain least about their lot.

According to the study by the FDS research group, Britons come second to their Gallic cousins in in the moaning stakes, followed by Sweden, the United States and Australia.

Japanese workers have the lowest morale, but do not complain so much.

The lowest levels of whingeing were found in the Netherlands, Thailand and Ireland.

"It is interesting to note that after France, Britain and Sweden, the world's biggest workplace whingers are Americans, despite their having by far the highest levels of income," FDS chief Charlotte Cornish said.

"Compare them to Thai workers: while real levels of income are more than eight times higher in the States, more workers in the US feel their pay is a problem than in Thailand."

The study, entitled 'What Workers Want, A Worldwide Study of Attitudes to Work and Work-Life Balance', draws on data from 14,000 employees in 23 countries.

They were notably asked about their satisfaction with issues including pay levels and their work-life balance, as well as average working hours.

The study says in terms of worker morale, Dutch workers are the happiest, followed by their Thai and Irish counterparts. The lowest morale of all is found in Japan, followed by Germany.