- Paymentsense research reveals what Brits think about their work-life balance
- 35% of Brits have trouble getting a doctor’s appointment due to work
- More than half of Brits would go to work when ill
- 37% of office workers worry about their workload while on holiday
- 48% of office workers stay behind after work at least once a week
- 20% of office workers want to start their own business in 2018
Brits are reported to spend at least 21% of their waking hours at work across their lifespan. With so much time spent at work, it’s important to strike the best possible work-life balance.
According to a recent survey conducted by Paymentsense, the majority of Brits think they have a good work-life balance, with 73% of office workers stating this. However, 59% think that their working lives impact simple tasks, such as booking a doctor’s appointment or seeing friends or family. Even though our careers are very important to us, Brits are concerned that their jobs are impacting day-to-day activities.
46% of office workers said their workplace offers a flexible working scheme to help staff have a sufficient work-life balance.
Is your work more important than your personal life?
According to 2,000 UK participants, 33% are unconvinced that their workload will be covered while they are on annual leave.
Even when unwell, 52% of office workers would consider coming into work just to complete their workload.
Interestingly, more men (73%) think they have a good work-life balance, compared to 67% of women. The younger demographic think they have the worse work-life balance, with 33% of 18-24-year-olds stating this compared to just 25% of Brits aged 45-54.
79% of Brits who work in the IT industry said they have the best work-life balance, compared to people working in business, consulting, and management. 37% of these workers said they did not have a good balance. Could this be down to the added pressure of having to support their business as well as employees?
Is 2018 the right time to set up your own business?
More than 20% of those surveyed revealed that they will be looking to start their own business in 2018. The new year may be the perfect time for setting new goals and even starting your own business, but the self-employment route will almost certainly impact work-life balance.
Our research revealed it has a positive effect, with 73% of business owners/managers stating they have a great work-life balance.
However, managers/business owners do seem to be more invested in working life. They are more likely to check their work emails outside of normal working hours, with 32% of managers/business owners saying they do this, compared to those who aren’t in a management position.
Are these small business owners at risk of burnout? 51% said that they are worried about their work not being completed while they are away.
Guy Moreve, Head of Marketing at Paymentsense says:
“It’s important that everyone within the workplace gets the best possible work-life balance. It’s crucial to the efficiency of a business. If the employees are demotivated, then this will eventually show in the quality of their work.
“We need to make sure this ethos is fed down from the top management to all levels of the business. As a business, you should be offering flexible working schemes. This gives employees the opportunity to take care of everyday life tasks and manage their workload effectively.
“If you own your own business, it can be hard to switch off, however, you still need some respite, so it’s crucial to put practices in place in order to achieve an effective balance.”
