New research from American Express has highlighted that after a challenging few years small business leaders are now prioritising better work-life balance.
The study, which surveyed over 500 small business owners and leaders in the UK, reveals that 71% say the pandemic has changed the way they think about their life and personal priorities while 69% agree that improving work-life balance is high on their list of priorities.
It found 62% say they make more mistakes if they don’t have periods of time away from work and 85% say regular breaks are important to being a good leader or manager.
Just under half (49%) of small business leaders say they are currently worn out and 88% also say that work regularly interrupts their life outside of work, with 27% reporting that these interruptions happen every day.
Just over four in 10 (42%) state they have had fewer opportunities to rest and recuperate over the last two years compared to pre-pandemic times and, as a result, a similar number (46%) say they feel guilty about not spending enough time with family or friends.
The findings come ahead of the UK’s Mental Health Awareness Week (May 9-15) and suggest wellbeing is being sacrificed as respondents struggle to disconnect from work, with more than three-quarters (77%) indicating that improving their mental wellbeing is one of the primary reasons for taking time off work.
