Working 60+ hours a week makes owners twelve times more likely to say their business is hurting their personal life.
Australian small business owners are working through illness, skipping holidays and struggling to step away from their businesses, according to new research from insurer BizCover.
The survey of 1,500 BizCover small business customers found more than six in ten owners (61%) worked through illness in the past year rather than taking time off completely, while almost one in three (32%) have never taken a single full week off while running their business.
With small businesses making up 97.3% of Australian businesses, according to ASBFEO analysis of ABS data for June 2025, the findings point to a workplace and wellbeing issue affecting a major part of Australia’s economy.
The report also found almost two thirds of owners (64%) have experienced financial stress from their business in the past year, while more than half (51%) have considered closing or selling their business at some point.
“Many small business owners accept long hours as part of the job, particularly during periods of growth or uncertainty,” said Brad Miller, General Manager of BizCover. “However, these findings suggest there may be a tipping point where longer hours stop being productive and instead begin contributing to poorer outcomes across multiple areas of life and business.”
The findings suggest many small business owners feel unable to fully step away from their responsibilities, even when they’re unwell or need time to recover.
Among owners working 60 or more hours a week, 60% say they’ve never taken a single week off since starting their business. Behaviour when unwell follows a similar pattern. More than two in five owners working 60+ hours (41%) said they continued working as usual when sick, compared with fewer than one in five owners working less than 30 hours a week (19%).
Financial pressure climbs alongside hours worked. Nearly four in five owners working 60+ hour weeks (79%) reported financial stress in the past year, compared with 59% of those working fewer than 30 hours.
The effect on life outside the business is stark. Owners working 60+ hours are twelve times more likely to say running their business has had a negative effect on their personal life, with 39% reporting a significant impact, compared with just 3% of those working fewer than 30 hours.
Asked what they’d do differently in hindsight, respondents most often pointed to boundaries. Setting clearer work boundaries was the top answer, chosen by 43.5% of owners. More than a third (38%) said they’d seek additional support or mentorship, and 30% said they’d have taken more proactive steps to protect their mental wellbeing.
“Small business owners frequently wear multiple hats and carry significant responsibility. Over time, that can affect how much time they have for family, how often they take a break or even how secure they feel financially,” Miller said.
The findings suggest many owners don’t necessarily regret starting their business, but do wish they’d better protected their time, health and support networks along the way.
State of Australian Small Business Owners 2026.
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