Millions of Brits are using seemingly harmless terminology at work, such as ‘no worries if not’ and ‘just checking’, but new research by Tide reveals it's directly impacting pay
Tide surveyed 1,500 employed adults across the UK, including 250 self-employed small business owners, to explore how the way we communicate could impact career and payment prospects in professional settings.
Self-employed professionals who ‘soften’ their requests are eight times more likely to experience late payments or get ‘ghosted’ by customers
Gen Z workers are the most likely to be affected, with one-in-four Gen Z workers struggling to discuss money in a professional setting
To help Brits feel more confident discussing money, Tide member Dr Mahrukh Khwaja, shares her practical tips on navigating tough workplace conversations
A new study by the UK’s leading business management platform, Tide, reveals that Brits are adopting language in the workplace that could be holding them back from securing pay rises or even getting paid on time, with SME owners 8 times more likely to be ‘ghosted’ or paid late when softening their language 1.
The research surveyed 1,500 employed adults across the UK, including 250 self-employed small business owners, to explore how the way we communicate could impact career and payment prospects in professional settings.
62% of working Brits are using language that could be limiting their growth
The results reveal that the ‘soft’ language being used in the workplace is causing serious problems where pay is concerned. The data shows that common phrases, typically intended to sound polite, correlate with late payments, customer haggling, ‘ghosting’ problems, and the expectation to meet unreasonable deadlines.
More than six-in-ten (62%) Brits, amounting to 25.8 million people, say they soften requests in the workplace, using phrases such as ‘only if it’s okay’, or ‘just checking’ 1. More than half (53%) also apologise even when they have done nothing wrong - for example, ‘sorry to message’
Almost six-in-ten Brits who soften requests say they’ve been ‘ghosted’ at work
While it may seem harmless, the language people use at work can shape how others perceive them and how seriously they are taken by either clients or colleagues.
For example, more than half of employees (51%) who often apologise unnecessarily say they have colleagues or clients cancel appointments at the last minute. For those who say they ‘always’ apologise unnecessarily, that figure increases to 66%.
The same pattern appears when it comes to softening requests. 66% of employees who soften their requests say they’ve been expected to meet unreasonable or tight deadlines, compared to just 16% of those who avoid softening their requests.
For business owners, the impact is even more direct. Those who soften requests are eight times more likely to experience late client payments (59% who do vs 7% who don’t), have to chase clients for payments (57% vs 4%) and have experienced haggling from customers over pricing (62% vs 7%).
What’s worse, 59% of those who soften their requests say they’ve been ‘ghosted’ by clients, leaving leads and therefore potential income on the table.
Issues faced by those who always soften requests versus those who do not
Issues | Those who always soften requests | Those who don’t soften requests |
|---|
Clients / Colleagues expect a response from outside of working hours | | |
Expect to meet tight/unreasonable deadlines | | |
Client tries to renegotiate price after agreeing before | | |
Client arrives late to appointments | | |
| | |
| | |
Clients / Colleagues cancel appointments at the last minute | | |
Having to chase payments from client | | |
Younger workers are the most likely to be using the terms and phrases that could prove costly at work, with three-quarters (75%) of Gen Z employees and business owners regularly using phrases like ‘no worries if not’, while the majority (73%) also soften their communication with clients or colleagues.
Across all generations, it appears that whether you have your own business or are an employed worker, there is still a lack of confidence when it comes to discussing money. Nearly one-in-five (19%) employed adults say they don’t feel confident asserting themselves in conversations around money, while 1 in 3 self-employed/small business owners say they worry about how discussing money is perceived.
Dr Mahrukh Khwaja, Tide member and founder of workplace well-being start-up Mind Ninja, who has previously experienced these same issues within her business, says: “Being direct and honest with clients is an important part of business, and with time, this has become paramount.
“One corporate client took five months to pay, offering repeated excuses about internal payment system changes each time she followed up. The change she made was straightforward: she now raises payment terms at the very start of a client relationship and requires a 50% retainer when booking. It’s the type of transparency she says changed how she runs her business, and that small business owners and self-employed professionals should adopt.”
To empower Brits to feel more confident when discussing money, Dr Khwaja shares her practical tips for navigating tricky conversations at work and with clients.
Reframe the money conversation. Talking about pay/fees doesn't have to feel confrontational. Dr. Khwaja recommends thinking of it as part of a process of openness that gives clients the information they need to make the right call. “Reframing the money conversation as part of your process of being transparent and allowing for informed decision-making. The right clients/customers will see the worth in the service/product and invest.”
Do the scary thing. Feeling nervous before sharing a quote or holding firm on a price is normal but it shouldn't be a reason to water down a request. “It's perfectly natural to feel nervous about sharing our fees and having money conversations. Hold your ground. With time, it does get easier.” Sales role-play with a mentor can help with this, as well.
Get on a call. Where possible, Dr. Khwaja recommends moving pricing discussions off the page and onto a screen, or face-to-face: “Voicing any concerns over a video call is much easier than on email.” Email has a way of making difficult conversations feel bigger than they are. Making it a rule to discuss quotes in person rather than written communication can help.
Building this confidence is a long game but a manageable one. In Dr Khwaja’s experience, consistency is what makes it stick: the more regularly these habits are practised, the more naturally they come.
Heather Cobb, UK Managing Director of Tide, comments: “Most people start a business because they’re good at what they do - not because they’re experts in pricing, negotiation or financial admin. That side of running a business can feel daunting, especially early on, and it’s easy to fall into patterns that undervalue your time or work.
“Getting the basics right makes a real difference. Being clear, professional and consistent in how you talk about pricing - even when it feels uncomfortable - helps set expectations early and avoids problems later, whether that’s chasing payments, undercharging, or feeling frustrated with clients.
“At the same time, reducing the admin burden is key. Tools like Tide’s business current account are designed to take away a big chunk of that day-to-day financial admin, so business owners can spend less time worrying about the numbers and more time focusing on what they do best.”
To learn more about how Tide can help new business owners to get started, and take the heavy admin out of various financial tasks, visit: https://www.tide.co/business-current-account/
ENDS
Notes to editor
1 With 62% of those in the survey who said they soften requests, we used the latest ONS data of 41.7 million people in the workplace to arrive at the figure of 25.8 million.
Methodology
Survey conducted by Censuswide of 1,500 UK employed adults, of which 250 are self-employed/small business owners (sole traders – companies with up to 250 employees).
Data correct as of March 2026.
About Tide:
Launched in 2017, Tide is the leading business management platform in the UK. Tide helps small businesses save time and money by not only offering business accounts and related admin services, but also a comprehensive set of highly usable and connected administrative solutions from invoicing to accounting and adjacent commercial services such as web-site building.
Tide has nearly 800,000 SME members in the UK (14% market share) and more than
1,000,000 SMEs in India. Tide launched in Germany in May 2024 and France in September 2025. Tide has also been recognised with the Great Place to Work certification three years in a row. Tide has been funded by Anthemis, the Apax Digital Funds, Augmentum Fintech, Creandum, Salica Investments, Latitude, LocalGlobe, SBI Group, Speedinvest and TPG, amongst others. It employs more than 2,800 Tideans worldwide. Tide’s long-term ambition is to be the leading business management platform globally.
