BrewDog founder James Watt has claimed Britain is “one of the world’s least work-oriented countries”, as he faces an avalanche of criticism following his controversial comments about work-life balance.
The entrepreneur made the claim after receiving a negative response to a social media video featuring himself and fiancée Georgia Toffolo, where they dismissed the need for work-life balance – opting instead for a “work-life integration”.
Watt, who stepped down as chief executive last year, sparked controversy by suggesting that the concept of work-life balance “was invented by people who hate what they do”.
In the original video shared on social media, Watt and Toffolo expressed their shared belief in “work-life integration” rather than balance.
In the original video shared on social media, Watt and Toffolo expressed their shared belief in “work-life integration” rather than balance
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Watt deleted the Instagram post after comments “crossed the line from debate to personal abuse,” with some users reportedly threatening violence.
“People are saying they’d like to murder me with a hammer,” Watt revealed in a subsequent post.
As he defended his views, Watt cited a 2023 study from the Policy Institute at Kings College London, which found Britons were the least likely to prioritise work among 24 nations, including the US, France and Germany.
He expressed concerns directed at the nation’s productivity, saying: “As a nation, we love to joke about the French being lazy but the reality is that our output per hour is 13 per cent lower than theirs”.
He also referenced a February 2024 Institute for Fiscal Studies report which said: “Britain’s relative lack of growth in the last 15 years can be explained by a decline in productivity.”
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“Since when did it become mainstream to hurl vile abuse at somebody sharing their approach to hard work?” he asked.
“If we can’t have a civil conversation about work ethic without descending into personal attacks, how can we expect to compete on the global stage?” Watt wrote.
He highlighted that millions in the UK work hard and clarified that people do not have to adopt his personal philosophy on work-life integration.
Watt stepped down as BrewDog’s chief executive last year, 17 years after co-founding the brewing and pub group from a garage in Aberdeenshire with Martin Dickie.
He stayed on as a non-executive director and strategic advisor, while he pursued other ventures including Social Tip, an influencer marketing platform.
The company has faced previous controversies including, in 2021, when former employees accused BrewDog of fostering a “culture of fear” with “toxic attitudes” towards junior staff, which drove Watt to apologise and promise changes following the staff’s open letter.
Last year, the company also drew criticism after announcing it would no longer hire new staff on the real living wage, instead paying the legal minimum wage
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Last year, the company also drew criticism after announcing it would no longer hire new staff on the real living wage, instead paying the legal minimum wage.
He clarified in an earlier post that the content was “aimed at founders, entrepreneurs and people who want to push their careers forward”.
Regarding his views on work ethics, his message resonated differently across platforms, with LinkedIn’s professional audience appearing more receptive to his views on the matter
Toffolo, who has written several romantic novels and runs a raw dog food company, has supported Watt’s perspective on the mixture of work and personal life.
