The majority of pharmacists sufferi a poor work-life balance, with contractors faring worse than employees and locums, preliminary results from the C+D Salary Survey 2013 have revealed.  

More than nine in 10 contractors rated their work-life balance as five or below in a 10-point scale, with 10 indicating a completely healthy balance, in a question answered by 563 respondents.  

Around six in 10 employees and locums believed their work-life balance was on the bottom half of the scale. Fifteen per cent of locums rated their work-life balance as completely healthy compared with 8 per cent of employees and no contractors. 

Industry leaders said pharmacy owners were particularly vulnerable to the effects of the tough economic climate and warned that the situation could get worse. Contractors needed to work "a lot harder" for the same amount of money, Independent Pharmacy Federation chair Fin McCaul told C+D. "Generally speaking, pharmacists are not hiring new staff, letting people go and are doing more of the work themselves," he said.

More on work-life balance Workplace stress prompts 81 per cent of pharmacists       to consider quitting 5 tips to boost your work-life balance       Community pharmacists have poor work-life balance,       study suggests

Numark director of pharmacy Mimi Lau said work often spilled into home life for many independent contractors. "Single-handed contractors or those with a small number of outlets are most affected, whereas those owners of large pharmacy groups may have a head office team that can provide additional support," she explained.  

"I fear that, unless contractors get the support they need to strike the right work-life balance, more dissatisfaction will come from the profession as we head into 2014," Ms Lau added.  

Amish Patel, owner of Hodgson Pharmacy, Kent, said his life was "more work than play". The volume of work was increasingly encroaching on his weekends, he told C+D, but stressed that he was careful to make time for his family.  

Donna Obstfeld, managing director of HR consultancy firm DOHR, said people were typically working longer and harder across all industries. "The question is always do we work to live or live to work, and I doubt there are many who would say we have this balance absolutely right," Ms Obstfeld said.  

"With an increasing need to compete with 24-hour supermarkets, all retailers are trying to open longer hours to increase flexibility for customers," she explained. "Whereas staff may be on shifts and not working more than the 48-hour weeks, pharmacists – like other business owners – will do what it takes to keep their business profitable and servicing the community."  

You only have 10 days left to take C+D's Salary Survey and be in with the chance to win a Kindle or Kindle fire – chemistanddruggist.co.uk/salary-survey