Work demands will impact the opportunity for 86 per cent of tradespeople to spend time with friends and family this festive season according to new research from Direct Line business insurance¹.
While late December is traditionally a time for family and relaxation, it’s a hectic time for many tradespeople, with more than a quarter (29 per cent) reporting they will not be able to see their loved ones at all during this time due to work commitments. A further 37 per cent will not be able to spend as much time with loved ones as they would have liked and 19 per cent know work will impact their time off but are trying to limit this as much as possible.
Despite 87 per cent of tradespeople working during the festive period, just half (50 per cent) will charge an increased rate. As well as many working over the festive period, four in five (82 per cent) tradespeople will also be working overtime in early December to ensure projects are completed on time, with 73 per cent also considering working weekends. One in seven (15 per cent) of tradies started working overtime earlier in the year to reduce the urgency to finish jobs in December.
Reasons for working overtime range from pressure from clients to complete jobs ahead of the festive period (36 per cent), wanting to finish all work before taking a well-earned break (34 per cent), and an opportunity to earn extra income (30 per cent).
Table 1: Reasons tradespeople plan to work overtime ahead of the festive period
| Reason for working overtime | Percentage |
| Clients put on added pressure to complete jobs ahead of the festive period | 36 per cent |
| I like to make sure the work is done ahead of switching off for the festive period | 34 per cent |
| We have new jobs starting in the new year, which we don’t want to delay | 32 per cent |
| I want to make sure my customers have a finished job ahead of the festive period | 31 per cent |
| It is good to get some extra money in ahead of the festive period | 30 per cent |
| I want to be able to finish work ahead of the festive period | 26 per cent |
Source: Direct Line business insurance: 2024
Mark Summerville, Product Manager at Direct Line business insurance commented: “Tradespeople consistently go above and beyond to support their clients, and this dedication is especially evident during the festive season. Many are working overtime and sacrificing time with loved ones to ‘save Christmas’ for countless households and businesses by ensuring projects are completed on time.”
¹ The research was conducted by Censuswide, amongst a sample of 500 UK Tradespeople (aged 16+) between 12th November to 14th November 2024
