Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Business

Brewdog founder slams the UK as ‘least work-oriented’ country in the world

by January 15, 2025
January 15, 2025
Brewdog founder slams the UK as ‘least work-oriented’ country in the world

James Watt, co-founder of the beer producer BrewDog, has drawn controversy by describing Britain as “one of the least work-oriented countries in the world” and questioning the nation’s focus on “work-life balance”.

Instead, the entrepreneur and his fiancée, the social media personality Georgia Toffolo, advocate “work-life integration”.

In a video posted on social media, Watt argued that “the whole concept of work-life balance was invented by people who hate what they do. So if you love what you do you don’t need work-life balance, you need work-life integration.” Although he deleted the original Instagram post, citing a torrent of abusive messages, Watt later shared new comments suggesting the negative reaction highlights a “low work ethic” in the UK.

Watt referenced research from the Policy Institute at King’s College London which found that Britons are among the least likely of 24 surveyed nations to say work is central to their life. He also cited statistics from the Office for National Statistics indicating UK output per hour is 13% lower than France’s. “As a nation, we love to joke about the French being lazy,” Watt noted, “but the reality is that our output per hour is lower than theirs.”

Pointing to the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ conclusion that Britain’s lack of growth in the last 15 years can be attributed to declining productivity, Watt said he was perplexed at the hostility to “someone sharing their approach to hard work.” He argued that if the UK cannot engage in a civilised conversation about work ethic, it could struggle to “compete on the global stage”.

Watt, who remains a non-executive director at BrewDog despite stepping down as chief executive last year, has previously faced scrutiny over BrewDog’s internal culture. Some former employees accused the company of fostering a “culture of fear” in 2021, prompting Watt to issue an apology and outline how the business had changed. Last year, BrewDog decided not to pay new recruits the real living wage, instead opting for the legal minimum wage—a move that triggered further criticism.

While his latest remarks have been met with a fierce backlash on Instagram, Watt noted that the response was more positive on LinkedIn. Georgia Toffolo, who joined Watt in the video, supported his stance on “work-life integration” by describing their shared “high-octane obsession” with their respective projects and businesses.

Read more:
Brewdog founder slams the UK as ‘least work-oriented’ country in the world

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Get to know Donald Trump’s Cabinet: Who has the president-elect picked so far?
next post
West coast main line faces decade-long closures in multi-billion-pound overhaul

You may also like

Communication Innovations within the Workplace

May 13, 2024

BGF plans to invest £300 million in the...

January 26, 2023

Jaguar cuts petrol cars as it changes gear...

July 16, 2024

Bosses told to cut out boozy office parties...

May 9, 2023

How to Keep VIPs Safe: A Comprehensive Guide

July 11, 2023

Post-lockdown jobs boom ‘is over’ as employers worry...

September 30, 2022

Ex-NatWest chief breached Nigel Farage’s privacy, ICO rules

October 26, 2023

Top Tips for Optimising Your eCommerce Strategy with...

July 2, 2024

Vacancies fall as employers rein in hiring

March 14, 2024

Bailey urges Starmer to deepen EU ties to...

May 30, 2025

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Trump warns of ‘serious consequences’ if Elon Musk funds Democrats

      June 7, 2025
    • Musk jokes about reconsidering stance on Big Beautiful Bill after Schiff’s praise

      June 7, 2025
    • Musk deletes explosive posts about Trump and Epstein files

      June 7, 2025
    • House witness flips script on Dem who ambushed him during hearing with unearthed tweet: ‘Iceberg is ahead’

      June 7, 2025
    • Call with China’s Xi, and Trump-Musk exchange fueled barbs during 20th week in office

      June 7, 2025
    • Trump’s conservative allies warn Congress faces critical ‘test’ with $9.4B spending cut proposal

      June 7, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,152)
    • Investing (2,019)
    • Politics (15,568)
    • Stocks (3,136)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved