Already feel like you've done a day's work before you get to the office? According to the latest Monster Meter, nearly half of Brits have a commuting time of between 40 minutes and well over an hour.
The Monster Meter asked, Which of the following best describes your average commute?
2,457 votes were cast across on Monster.co.uk between 6th and 20th January, revealing:
23% (574 votes) said: 0-20 minutes.
29% (704 votes) said: 20-40 minutes.
23% (564 votes) said: 40-60 minutes.
25% (615 votes) said: Over one hour
These results suggest that many people are willing to endure a lengthy and often stressful commute to work, possibly due to the allure of the best jobs and vibrancy of culture in the UK's major towns. For example, London continues to attract thousands of workers each year, despite expensive living costs and over-population. But only a fraction of these people can afford to live in close proximity to their work place, the remainder having to suffer a stressful journey via public transport or car. According the Freight Transport Association, British drivers spend twice as long as Italians each day commuting to work. And, with the congestion charges being imposed in February on people driving into London, workers may find that their working day is extended. Congestion charges may force people to drive into London outside of the charging hours, or alternatively they may experience a longer and more complicated journey by having to rely on several different modes of public transport.
Regardless of the obstacles that lie in a commuters' path, workers still need to arrive at work fresh, positive, and ready and able to tackle a day at the office. Joe Slavin, managing director of Monster.co.uk, comments New avenues are opening up for employees - EU directives such as the forthcoming guidelines on flexible hours will help relieve stress and make the working week seem shorter. Advances in wireless technology enable companies to offer the option of working from home (teleworking) when needs be. It's early days, but it's clear that the toll on commuters is not going un-noticed by both employers and the governing bodies, and measures are being taken to counteract the often stressful nature of getting to work.
Monster's Top Tips for commuters:
- Make an effort to get out of bed on time. If you expend extra energy rushing because you are running late, you will feel weary before you start work.
- It's important to arrive at work feeling positive, this is still your time. Try to enjoy it by reading, listening to music, or simply relaxing. Not only will you be fresher when you get to the office, but the commute will seem a lot shorter.
- If the daily grind of travelling to work is really getting you down, maybe it is time to consider finding a job closer to home. This is becoming easier with more and more companies expanding into business centres situated near residential areas. Monster.co.uk has hundreds of job opportunities, which are quickly searchable by geographic region.
Rat-race making you ratty?
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