Workplace wellbeing: who’s living the new Good Life?

Is going self-employed the best route to workplace wellbeing?

Have you ever stared out the window at work and wished you were somewhere else? Or been stuck on the morning commute and thought to yourself: “There’s got to be a better way to make a living”?

You’re not alone.

In fact, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, more and more of us are turning our backs on the traditional 9 to 5 and breaking into the world of self-employment.

Once the preserve of small set of trades and occupations, self-employment now accounts for one in seven of all UK workers.

Self-employment is also often thought to be the so-called Promised Land for workers and an escape route to ‘the Good Life’ – better health, more time with family, greater independence and freedom.

So we wanted to take a look at the new working habits of self-employed people in the UK, and find out which of them are living the Good Life at work.

The Good Life Workers

AXA surveyed* 400 self-employed workers and small business owners in the UK and found four new self-employed lifestyle groups: The School Runner, The Cottage Artisan, The Office Escapee, and The Modern Tradesman. And while not everyone will see themselves reflected in these groups, they do reveal a lot about modern self-employed working habits.

We’ve traced how their working lifestyles impact their lives, families, and their overall health and wellbeing. So click below to explore the workers, their workplace wellbeing, and find out who’s living the Good Life in the UK workforce.

Wellbeing Icons

^Above figures sourced from AXA research.

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*Survey of 400 small business owners conducted October 2017