UK Social Network Unveils ‘Shocking’ Level of Work-Life Imbalance

December 13, 2007; 07:41 AM

realbuzz.com today reveals the results of an independently commissioned survey delving into perceptions regarding the UK’s work-life balance.  The research looked at the amount of time and money the Great British public invests in a hobby or pastime and the impact of work on our free time.

The findings highlight that Brits don’t have enough time to do the things they enjoy doing – with 87 per cent wishing they had more free time for a hobby or pastime.  Only five per cent said they have ample free time to themselves.  More interestingly, eight per cent of respondents were unsure whether or not they had enough free time on their hands - this indicates that they either have no interest in pursuing a pastime or are simply too busy with work to notice!

The old adage that Brits work long hours is alive and kicking – 45 per cent of respondents claim to work in excess of the traditional average 40 hour week and a whopping 38 per cent stated they actually work more than 60 hours each week.

Just over half of all respondents (52 per cent) stated that work severely gets in the way of their social life at least once a week.  With an additional quarter of those surveyed (26 per cent) stating their career impacts on social lives at least twice a week.  Cumulatively these two statistics convey that a little over three quarters of Brits feel that work has a noticeable - and ultimately negative - impact on the enjoyment of their free time.

Fiona Gibbins, Marketing Director of realbuzz.com said: “Our research has thrown up some interesting findings.  It’s staggering to see how strongly the British public feels about work impacting on their free time and ultimately getting in the way of them enjoying a pastime.  Also, about the people we find the most motivational - perhaps our work colleagues hit the spot because we spend so much time in their company?!”

When asked how much money people spend on a hobby or pastime the results showed that 38 per cent (slightly more than one in three of us) do not actually spend money on their hobby or pastime – which indicates a resurgence of free pastimes such as; walking, cycling, reading and jogging.

The survey also considered our motivations for getting physical and it identified that we find our workmates more motivational than our family members – in terms of getting us to do something physically challenging.   This question covered activities such as; going to the gym or participating in a sport.  One in four respondents claimed that they found new acquaintances more motivational than either family or friends.  This finding implies that there are social barriers to overcome when beginning a fitness regime and these obstacles aren’t that apparent when we partake in such activities with strangers.

realbuzz.com encourages people to connect with like-minded users both on and offline - based on common interests and pastimes.  The site’s community features are driven by the sharing of real life experiences and passions. Through interactive functions such as; video and photo uploads, community boards and social networking users can build a network of friends with similar interests.  Ultimately realbuzz.com provides an avenue to ‘escapism’.

Visit www.realbuzz.com to see the site.