Out of office: Half of Brits plan to quit their job this September
Employers beware! Research reveals that following 46% of Brits having jetted off for a summer holiday this season, nearly half of Brits (49%) plan to quit their job on return.
The research by Wix – the cloud-based website development platform, marks the month of September Slackers, as one of the highest for employees who will quit their job in the UK, alongside January.
With technology more accessible and travel more affordable, 1 in 3 Brits plan to chuck in their day job to make travel a full-time gig, by starting their own businesses online. Of those surveyed, 69% of Brits dread returning to work, with 54% of respondents thinking they would be happier working for themselves. Also 42% desire more flexible working hours and 27% of Brits dream of location independence, with the USA, Australia and New Zealand named as the top three countries nationals dream of working as digital nomads, followed by Canada and Spain. Korea, Russia and Venezuela were revealed as bottom of the travel and work wish list.
Top 10 countries Brits want to travel and work mobile
- USA
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Canada
- Spain
- Croatia
- Italy
- France
- Japan
- Maldives
When asked what type of holiday would most inspire people to quit their job to start their own business, a luxury getaway and beachside holiday [40%] came up trumps, followed by sailing or a cruise [20%], before trekking and climbing and a health and wellness retreat [14%].
Also, 12% of cheeky Brits have extended their holiday while away, 9% have purposely missed a flight to stay longer, and 10% have hidden their social media posts to prevent their bosses knowing that they are still away!
Top industries Brits want to start businesses in include hospitality [10%], accounting and finance [9%], travel writing [8%], design [8%], followed by art and photography [7%].
Low morale at work
The research also revealed that it wasn’t just the sun and new cultures enticing Brits to quit their jobs, but low morale in their current roles. Being undervalued [39%], underpaid [37%], and poor management [31%] were top reasons Brits are preparing to chuck it in, along with a third of Brits [34%] that have recently quit their job admitting it was because they didn’t like their boss or had issues with colleagues.
Wix spokesperson, Matt Rosenberg, comments: “Understandably, people on holiday tend to reflect on their professional paths. Many people have hopes to combine the freedom of leisure time with the benefits of working for themselves. The life of a digital nomad allows individuals to travel and work remotely while doing something they are passionate about. Entrepreneurs, artists, designers and developers use Wix to create websites, portfolios, instructional videos and online businesses both for themselves and others, and to achieve the flexibility to manage their companies from wherever they are in the world.”
