Regus survey identifies the 7 deadly sins of commuting to offices in Scotland

Employers urged to embrace flexible working as one in four Scots spend over 90 minutes commuting per day

Article posted: 03 Mar 2011

Commuters to offices in Scotland have identified the seven deadly sins of commuting that cause them the most stress on the way to work, and undermine their productivity and job satisfaction. In a new survey by workspace solutions provider Regus, ‘bad or dangerous driving’ tops the list of Scottish commuters’ gripes. However, delays and service interruptions, road rage, lack of information from service providers and loud mobile phone conversations also figured as major stress factors.

The findings of the Regus survey highlight the growing imperative for Scottish employers to help staff avoid the daily commute by offering flexible working options. It is clear that employers must broaden their definition of ‘flexibility’ to include workplace location as well as working hours, and allow staff to find the right balance between working at home, in the company’s office or indeed in a business centre closer to their home.

In Scotland, the average one-way commute is 28 minutes, although 25% of Scots have to travel over three quarters of an hour each way. Yet the time taken to commute is less of an issue than the commuting experience. No business wants employees turning up to work already exhausted and stressed out, unable to function properly in the working day.

Celia Donne, Regional Director at Regus commented: “We can all recognise our own worst experiences in the findings of this survey. Of course, at Regus we advocate flexible working location and hours to avoid the stresses and strains of commuting which can have such an adverse effect on employee’s productivity, motivation and happiness.”

Regus business centres in Scotland offer serviced office space in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow.

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Posted by Sara