WWW.TOMIMAGAZINE.COM
NOVEMBER 2012
21
spent complying with government regulation.
The Germans put in the longest hours - 47.1
hours on average each week (2.7 hours on
government regulation). The US had the se-
cond shortest average working week - 39.4
hours, with nearly two hours per week spent
dealing with government regulations.
Forty-three percent of all respondents
said that the economic downturn had given
them more stress (54% in Spain, 49% in the
US), and 31% reported sleep problems due to
increased worry. However, 30% said that the
downturn had made them stronger and more
determined to succeed, and 31% said that it
had spurred them to work more efficiently.
New Recruits - keen but not so good on
languages
Among the small business across
all six countries who had recruited new gradu-
ates last year, 63% gave them high ratings for
keenness and motivation, 56% for reading
and writing and 52% for basic arithmetic.
However, only 41% rated them highly for
speaking foreign languages (USA 33% and UK
26%).
A helping hand
Only 22% of small businesses across all coun-
tries had asked for outside help from business
groups or elected representatives. Eleven per-
cent had approached a business or small busi-
ness organization, and 9% of a local politician
or mayor.
Hiscox specializes in insurance for small busi-
ness owners, such as professional liability
(
errors and omissions insurance) and commer-
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Press Contacts
:
Hunger Hoffman
646.442.8341
Hunter.hoffman@hiscox.com
Katherine McGann for Hiscox USA
203.254.1300
ext. 249
kmcgann@prosek.com