UK small business owners take an average of just 15 full days off per year, falling far lower than the 28-day statutory minimum for employees
1 in 6 (17%) founders say that they actually take no full days off in an entire year - a number that rises to 21% of sole traders
The average business owner works more than 10 hours a day, with nearly a third (29%) exceeding the 48-hour weekly legal maximum for employees
Tide member and Co-Founder of North London Storm Michael Jurek discusses his challenges with taking time off as a founder and how he and his business, is now benefitting from a better work-life balance
15 days. That’s how many full days off UK small business owners are taking each year, with no emails or business calls, according to new research from Tide, the UK’s leading business management platform.
Published as part of Tide’s extensive Business Benchmark Index 2026, the research reveals that the average UK founder gets approximately half the 28-day statutory minimum holiday entitlement employees receive, with over half (56%) taking 10 days or fewer, and 1 in 6 (17%) taking none at all. A figure that equates to 969,000 business owners taking no full days off each year.
Tide surveyed 500 UK small business owners on how many days they take off, where they are fully on holiday defined as no calls, no emails and no business admin). The breakdown reveals a clear split between a minority who successfully manage to protect their rest and a majority who do not.
Average number of days off taken per year | % of business owners* |
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*5% of owners answered ‘I’m not sure’
The number of business owners taking no full days off in a year increases to 21% for sole traders, with 1 in 5 feeling unable to fully switch off without a team to hand anything over to. This number decreases to 7% of owners with 50-99 employees, while the research reveals that owners aged between 25-34-years-old take the lowest amount of annual leave, taking an average of just 12 days off each year.
Why Aren’t Business Owners Taking Enough Days Off?
For many founders, the holiday gap is often a reflection of genuine dedication and passion for something they’ve built from scratch. Running a business is personal in a way that employment rarely is, and stepping away, even briefly, can feel like a risk not worth taking.
This is echoed in the start and finish times of many founders, too, with the data also showing that the average UK business owner starts their working day at 7:52 am and finishes at 6:04 pm, a 10+ hour day. Nearly 1 in 3 (29%) work more than 48 hours per week, the legal maximum for employees under UK Working Time Regulations.
Michael Jurek, Tide member and Co-Founder of Professional Pickleball Franchise North London Storm comments on his first-hand experience of not feeling able to take time off as a founder: “For a long time, I felt unable to switch off. Part of that came from a belief that nobody else could fully step into my role because of the specific knowledge and context I held. It felt easier to remain available at all times, even when I was supposed to be on holiday. But by being always available, I created an expectation - both for myself and for others - that I was always available.
“One of the biggest challenges of running a business is that the pressure rarely stays confined to the business itself. It can impact your relationships with your partner, family, friends, and even your own health and wellbeing. Over time, those pressures can compound if you don't create space to decompress and reset.”
Over the last six months, Michael says he has prioritised disconnecting and is already reaping the rewards, “I eventually realised that I wasn't fully showing up for either. I wasn't giving my business my best attention, and I wasn't giving my friends and family my full presence either. Operating in that constant middle ground was actually creating more stress, not less.
“The biggest shift now has been reducing the amount of information and responsibility that sits exclusively with me. I've also embraced technology and AI tools to help standardise certain workflows and reduce dependency on any one person. By creating systems, documenting knowledge, and empowering others to take ownership, I've become much more comfortable stepping away from email and calls when I'm on holiday.
“Ironically, the business has become more resilient as a result.”
George Schmidt, CEO UK/Europe at Tide, says: “Many founders start a business to create more freedom and flexibility, yet the reality is that too many end up feeling unable to properly switch off. Nobody should feel they have to choose between their business and their wellbeing. Tide exists to make running a business simpler, helping owners cut down on admin and reclaim valuable time.”
Tide’s top tips for closing the holiday gap:
Automate your admin: Tools that handle invoicing, expenses and financial reporting, like Tide’s accounting software, free up hours every week that you shouldn’t be spending manually.
Create clear boundaries: With 29% of business owners working 48 hours or more each week, it’s important to set working hours and stick to them. Try to uphold boundaries of not replying to requests late at night or over the weekend. If you can, have a separate work phone or email that you can switch off.
Build in recovery time before you need it: 1 in 6 (17%) aren’t taking a single full day off each year - a serious burnout concern. Avoid waiting until you’re on the verge of burnout to take a break. Even a long weekend every few months makes a difference; block it in the diary as a non-negotiable.
Account for time off in your financial planning: A common barrier for sole traders is that time off means lost income. Factor a holiday budget into your annual forecast so stepping away doesn’t feel financially reckless.
Build a business that doesn’t need you for every decision: Document your key processes, put trusted people in place, and give them the autonomy to act without you. Start small, even a few hours of genuine time off is progress.
To find out more about tools that can help to cut down on time and needless admin, visit: https://www.tide.co/features/accounting-software/
ENDS
Notes to editors:
To explore the full findings of the Tide Business Benchmark Index 2026, covering work-life balance, business confidence, savings, social media and trending business types, visit https://www.tide.co/blog/tide-update/business-benchmark-index/
The Tide Business Benchmark Index 2026 is Tide’s first benchmarking report for UK small business owners. Work-life balance findings are drawn from an independent survey of 500 UK small business owners, conducted by Censuswide in December 2025. The full report covers six areas: when people start a business, work-life balance, business confidence, savings, social media following and trending business types. Additional data is drawn from Tide’s analysis of over 80,000 business savings accounts and 100,000+ company registrations.
All data correct as of December 2025.
External Sources:
House of Commons Library data showing that there are 5.7 million SMEs in the UK used to calculate the 969,000 (17%) that don’t take any days off
Mental Health UK, Burnout Report 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 900,000 SME members in the UK (15% market share) and more than 1.1m 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 and has recently been named among India’s Top 50 Best Workplaces in Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance. 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 3,100 Tideans worldwide. Tide’s long-term ambition is to be the leading business management platform globally.
