A Hard Day’s Night: Organisational Psychologist reveals how to avoid overworking through winter ‘double hit’
New data from leading business management platform Tide has revealed that 1.65 million UK small business owners are exceeding the 48-hour legal limit that applies to employed workers.
Tide’s survey of 500 UK small business owners finds that close to half of small business owners (45%) work more than 40 hours per week, but nearly one in three (29%) work beyond the 48-hour limit set out under Working Time Regulations. That amounts to 1.65 million small business owners, a number that will likely increase as Black Friday and Christmas targets become a priority, but one that could also be an ill-timed recipe for burnout.
Psychologist warns of ‘double hit’ this winter
The clocks changing means the sun will set before 4pm by December, and many small business owners working these long hours will likely see little daylight outside work — something that Tide member and founder of The Business Psychologist, Professor Matthew Davis, says could do more harm than good.
“We all have our own mental and physical limits. People can endure long hours, high pressure, physically or mentally demanding activities for short periods. For most people, doing this regularly comes at a cost to them and their business. Working long hours is likely to increase fatigue, which can make it more difficult to concentrate, can affect decision making and slow down performance or output.”
Professor Matthew Davis, founder, The Business Psychologist
The winter is a particular concern, as owners face a ‘double hit’: long working hours are already tiring, and fewer daylight hours can further sap energy and mood. Natural daylight is important for giving the body cues and regulating circadian rhythm — the internal body clock — which is often linked to alertness, cognitive functioning and mood. Working long hours indoors, away from natural daylight, may compound sleep problems or low energy levels.
Five crucial tips for SME owners who exceed the 48-hour work week
- Get daylight: Make getting out into natural daylight part of the daily routine, particularly in the mornings through winter. Find somewhere to sit and clear emails on a phone, have a walking meeting, plan the day or prepare for later meetings.
- Set a regular sleep routine: Combining long hours and short winter daylight can disrupt sleep and energy levels. Keep regular sleep and waking times, avoid late-night working and seek early daylight.
- Take time to rest and recover: It is important to physically be away from work, to have time not thinking about work and to do other things.
- Commit to social activities: Family, friends, social activities or sports can support wellbeing and encourage physical activity during the dark winter period.
- Stay alert to signals that you are off balance: If you are often tired, feel more irritable, are making mistakes, or are not seeing friends or family as much as usual, consider whether the balance between work and recovery is right.
Heather Cobb, UK Managing Director at Tide, says that running a small business often means the to-do list never feels fully complete. As nights draw in, owners need to protect their time and wellbeing, not just their bottom line, so they are better equipped to manage the busy Christmas trading period.
While managing working hours is something every owner has to deal with, Tide helps to ease that burden with tools such as automated accounting and payroll, auto-categorisation of spending and payments, as well as in-app Making Tax Digital submissions.
Methodology
Tide conducted an independent survey of 500 UK small business owners via Censuswide in December 2025. The estimate of 1.65 million is based on 29% of the 5.7 million small businesses in the UK, according to government data.
About Tide
Launched in 2017, Tide is a business management platform in the UK. It helps small businesses save time and money through business accounts, related admin services and connected administrative solutions from invoicing to accounting and adjacent commercial services.
