British workers are spending an average of 11 weeks a year commuting to and from work, with journey times continuing to increase, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Despite more workplaces offering the opportunity for flexible working outside the office, research from Cloudbooking that utilised these statistics found that the average commute has increased from 45 minutes to 54 minutes per journey since 2003.
Gerry Brennan, CEO of Cloudbooking, said:
“The ONS stats show that 87 percent of the UK’s workforce carry out their duties at their employer’s premises.
“Until now no one has worked out what this really means in terms of lost productivity. Our calculations are based on four weeks holiday a year and the 37.5 hour standard working week.”
Brennan suggests that it is the duty of employers and the new government to promote the advantages of working remotely. He added:
“Research by Stanford University in the US has shown that remote workers are 13 percent more productive and take fewer sick days than their commuting colleagues. Also, with extra time to devote to family life, or pursue other interests like exercise, the impact of working from home is worth a truly vast sum to our economy.”
The release of the findings coincides with Richard Branson’s announcement that he will be giving Virgin employees unlimited holiday allowance. This process has also been implemented at Evernote and Netflix.
Steff joined the HRreview editorial team in November 2014. A former event coordinator and manager, Steff has spent several years working in online journalism. She is a graduate of Middlessex University with a BA in Television Production and will complete a Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Westminster in the summer of 2015.
