Why CFOs say they’d need a six-day week – and how they can reclaim time for strategic decisions

Why CFOs say they’d need a six-day week – and how they can reclaim time for strategic decisions

In our CFO Mindset Report 2024, we set out to uncover the biggest challenges finance leaders face and identify practical ways to overcome them. The findings revealed that today’s CFOs are under intense pressure, often working long hours to meet the ever-expanding demands of their roles.

Despite ongoing conversations around shorter working weeks, 85% of CFOs and finance leaders told us they would need six days to manage their workload. This relentless pace is driving higher stress levels, eroding their sense of control, and making it harder to balance immediate tasks with long-term planning.

With a quarter (25%) of finance leaders saying they feel overwhelmed several times a week—and 63% reporting this at least once a month—it’s clear that finance teams are under strain. Beyond the hours, the real issue is the impact this has on CFOs’ ability to lead, strategise, and drive growth.

The “CFO nightmares” keeping finance leaders up at night

Our survey highlighted several recurring challenges CFOs face—many of which continue to dominate boardroom conversations in 2025. Top concerns included:

• Inflation and rising costs impacting profitability (40%)
  
  
• Cash flow management and credit control (40%)
  
  
• Meeting revenue and profit targets (40%)
  
  
• Cybersecurity risks (36%)
  
  
• Accuracy of reporting (29%)
  
  

The combination of rising costs, unpredictable revenues, and security threats is already difficult enough. Add concerns around reporting accuracy, and CFOs are often left making business-critical decisions without reliable insights.

Many attempt to “work their way out of it”: 40% put in extra hours, 36% report heightened stress, 25% worry about reporting quality, and 24% feel growing pressure from stakeholders.

Growing responsibilities, limited resources

Despite these pressures, 60% of CFOs say their finance function is scaling up. But growth brings its own challenges—an equal 60% admit their current team is only somewhat capable of supporting expansion over the next three years.

Outdated systems and siloed data remain a key obstacle. More than half (54%) of finance leaders told us their organisation lacks the insights needed to make informed decisions. As responsibilities expand—from transactions and compliance to analysis, strategy, and leadership—CFOs are being stretched in multiple directions.

The potential of AI in transforming finance

To manage this workload, CFOs are increasingly exploring automation and artificial intelligence (AI). Yet, views remain mixed:

• 35% believe AI could transform finance, adding significant strategic value
  
  
• Another 35% see AI as useful for efficiency and time savings, but not revolutionary
  
  
• 15% worry about job displacement as AI adoption grows
  
  

Regardless of opinion, AI is becoming a central part of the finance conversation in 2025. When deployed effectively, it can remove hours of manual work, streamline reporting, and free up CFOs to focus on financial planning, risk management, and growth.

Reclaiming time with scalable technology

For CFOs seeking to reduce stress, reclaim time, and refocus on strategy, the right technology is key. AccountsIQ’s cloud-based financial management platform is designed to help CFOs stay in control, improve efficiency, and build finance functions that can scale with growth.

With AccountsIQ, CFOs and finance teams benefit from:

• Real-time insights: Live data gives finance leaders the agility to spot trends and adapt quickly in fast-changing markets.
  
  
• Accurate, automated reporting: Advanced analytics eliminate silos and reduce human error, providing reliable information for confident decision-making.
  
  
• Scalability for growth: A flexible, cloud-based system that grows with the business, supporting increasing complexity without increasing workload.
  
  

By moving from firefighting to forecasting, AccountsIQ helps finance leaders regain control over their time and focus on what matters most: guiding their organisations through growth and change.

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For finance leaders who are ready to reduce stress and build a finance function that fuels long-term growth, scalable technology like AccountsIQ offers a transformative solution. Discover how in the full CFO Mindset Report - download it now!