New research has found that almost half of UK employees (44 per cent) are struggling to afford fuel prices in order to get to work*.
The survey, which quizzed 2,000 UK workers, discovered that rising fuel costs are having a detrimental effect on employee financial wellbeing. The results also found that just under a third (30 per cent per cent) stated they would consider walking more than 1km in order to save their fuel.
As well as this, the data found that UK workers are going to extreme lengths to save money on their fuel costs. It found that over two in 10 employees (22 per cent) admitted to altering the way they drive to save on fuel – such as coasting downhill, not using the radio and turning the engine off at traffic. On top of this, 17 per cent of employees stated they had risked driving with their fuel light on to save paying for more fuel.
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When asked about what changes employees had made in their lives to factor in higher fuel costs, just under two in 10 (19 per cent) said they have had to cut back on their food expenses in order to afford fuel and two in 10 claimed they work from home to save on travel costs.
Worryingly, one in 10 employees have admitted to skipping work because they cannot afford to get there and six per cent claim they have had to take time off work because of fuel affordability. As well as this, six per cent have called their breakdown services to utilise their free fuel cannister policy when a car has run out of fuel.
Ann Marie Bell, Director at Gettasub comments,
It’s clear that soaring fuel costs are putting huge pressures on workers, leaving those on minimum wages struggling to make ends meet. It’s vital that companies do more to help employees with the cost of living crisis, by offering advance financial support and flexible benefits to reduce these pressures.
*Research by GettaSub
Interested in employee wellbeing? We recommend the Workplace Wellbeing and Stress Forum 2019.
Aphrodite is a creative writer and editor specialising in publishing and communications. She is passionate about undertaking projects in diverse sectors. She has written and edited copy for media as varied as social enterprise, art, fashion and education. She is at her most happy owning a project from its very conception, focusing on the client and project research in the first instance, and working closely with CEOs and Directors throughout the consultation process. Much of her work has focused on rebranding; messaging and tone of voice is one of her expertise, as is a distinctively unique writing style in my most of her creative projects. Her work is always driven by the versatility of language to galvanise image and to change perception, as it is by inspiring and being inspired by the wondrous diversity of people with whom paths she crosses cross!
Aphrodite has had a variety of high profile industry clients as a freelancer, and previously worked for a number of years as an Editor and Journalist for Prospects.ac.uk.
Aphrodite is also a professional painter.
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