#Beyourownboss? Sorry, TikTok: Czechs still want a steady paycheck

TikTok's #beyourownboss hashtag has racked up more than 730,000 posts. But responses to a new study examining attitudes toward work suggest that not everyone is ready to leave the security of a regular paycheck for side hustles and gigs.

The study is especially telling for those residing in Czechia; research reveals that over a third of people in the Czech Republic prefer the stability of traditional employment, prioritizing job security over entrepreneurship.

The global survey, conducted by cross-border payments provider Remitly Business, analyzed attitudes toward work among more than 5,000 respondents across 28 countries.

The findings place the Czech Republic third-highest globally for its preference for traditional employment, with 37.1 percent of Czech respondents stating they would rather work for someone else. Only Australia (40.6 percent) and New Zealand (39.5 percent) showed a stronger preference for conventional corporate roles.

For Czech-based workers and businesses, the data reflects a cultural inclination toward structured employment benefits. According to the study, the primary drivers for keeping a traditional job are greater job security, fixed benefits like pension contributions and sick pay, lower financial risk, and a desire to avoid the administrative responsibilities of running a business.

This cautious approach stands in stark contrast to global trends. Worldwide, an average of 74.6 percent of respondents express a desire for self-employment, led by developing markets like Kenya (98.0 percent), South Africa (92.7 percent), and Morocco (90.7 percent).

Even among global respondents who dream of independence, financial anxiety remains a massive hurdle.

More than half of those surveyed cited the lack of a stable income and a fear of failure as major barriers. Globally, only a third of people plan to take actual steps toward self-employment in the coming year.

The study also notes widespread skepticism about the romanticization of entrepreneurial life online. More than 84 percent of participants agreed that social media makes self-employment look more appealing than it actually is, while 81 percent felt that modern "hustle culture" places unhealthy pressure on individuals to work constantly.

Czechia is home to a record 1.182 million registered self-employed workers, yet experts warn the surge is driven less by genuine entrepreneurship than by the so-called Švarc system, in which companies hire workers on trade licenses to dodge social contributions and labor protections, leaving workers without sick pay, severance, or job security.

For those who do choose to go it alone, the reality is demanding. Freelancers operating under a Czech trade license, known as an OSVČ or živnostník, must manage income tax, social security, and health insurance independently, without the employer safety net that salaried workers take for granted.

Minimum monthly contributions for established freelancers now exceed CZK 9,000, digital filing via data box is mandatory from 2026, and even the government's simplified flat-rate tax option comes with strings attached.

"Many people are drawn to the independence and flexibility that entrepreneurship can offer, but ongoing financial uncertainty is making it harder to make the leap," said Ankur Tiwari, Vice President and General Manager at Remitly Business.

Tiwari advised aspiring entrepreneurs to start small by testing business ideas alongside a stable source of income to reduce financial risk.