It’ll be lonely (in Scotland) this Christmas

Self-employed Scots found to be the most likely to work on Christmas day

If you’re a self-employed health or social care professional aged between 18-24 and living in Scotland, you could be one of the 1.04 million* employed people working on Christmas day this year.

As many as one third of self-employed workers across the UK have worked on Christmas day, with those living in Scotland (36%) the most likely, followed closely by London (33%), a survey by online accountancy firm Crunch has found. Those in the North West (29%) and South East (29%) were found to be the least likely.

Health and social care professionals were also found to be the most likely to have worked on Christmas day (68%), followed by those in the creative arts and design industries (31%), accountancy and business (30%), and retail (27%). Those working in property and construction (19%) were found to be the least likely.

Surprisingly, those aged 18-24 were the most likely to have worked on Christmas day (33%), followed closely by those aged 45-54 (31%). Those between 25-34 were the least likely to have worked on Christmas day (19%).

Additional key findings from the Safety in Numbers report include:
• Self-employed women were just as likely as men to have worked on Christmas day
• The UK can expect to collectively spend £4 billion on their Christmas work parties this year, whereas the self-employed in the North East were found to save the most money per person (£113) during December by not taking part in workplace parties and secret Santa, followed closely by Northern Ireland (saving £113) and London (saving £110)
• Northern Ireland were the most likely to work entirely alone during December (76%), with Scotland the least likely to work without colleagues (61%) during the festive period

To ensure that those working during the Christmas period don’t feel lonely, Crunch has created Crunch Chat, a series of podcasts featuring background noise from an office brainstorm session, Friday afternoon drinks, and the post-Christmas party. The podcasts and Safety in Numbers are available to download today from www.crunch.co.uk/safety-in-numbers

Darren Fell, Founder and CEO of Crunch, said: “No one wants to be away from their family and working on Christmas day, but it’s a trend that’s only increasing across all sectors. While we can’t solve the problem overnight, we can make sure that those who are working on Christmas day don’t feel alone. Our Crunch Chat podcasts are our way of offering support and comfort to those who need it the most during the festive period.”

ENDS

*Source: Office of National Statistics https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwor...

Contact Details

Debbie Lloyd
Debbie.lloyd@hellounity.com
0207 440 9829

Paige Hiley
Paige@hellounity.com
0207 440 9810

Mikahla Collins
Mikahla.collins@hellounity.com
0207 440 9810

About Crunch

Crunch are the UK's first online accountancy firm, combining a team of expert in-house accountants available on-demand with simple online accounting software.

Designed specifically for freelancers, contractors, small businesses, sole traders and startups, they’re more than just an accountancy firm – they’re everything you need to manage your finances. Their complete accounting solutions start at £29.50+VAT per month.

• 1000 freelancers, contractors, sole traders or employers and employees of microbusinesses (2-9 employees) who work by themselves at least some of the time were surveyed by OnePoll in October 2017.