Commuters in Birmingham 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, Birmingham commuters topped
the list with bad or dangerous driving. However, delays and service
interruptions, road rage, lack of information from service
providers and loud mobile phone conversations also figured as major
stress factors.
In Birmingham, the average one-way commute is 29 minutes,
although 24% of commuters 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. The findings of the Regus survey help
to identify the major causes of commuting stress across drivers and
users of public transport.
Celia Donne, Regional Director of Regus comments, "We can all
recognise our own worst experiences in the findings of this survey.
Dangerous driving and road rage is a real concern for drivers and
pedestrians alike, hence their top billing. Delays and being left
in the dark about service interruptions or traffic jams is also a
killer for the calm and productive working day. The mobile phone
pest also evidently remains with us, with offenders not realising -
or caring - that they are ruining many people's day right from the
start. And the insidious power of pollution and overheating to get
the day off to a bad start cannot be underestimated.
"Of course, at Regus we advocate flexible working location and
hours to avoid all these stresses and strains which can have such
an adverse effect on employee's throughput, motivation and
happiness. Travelling to a work location closer to home, especially
outside of peak hours, is often the best way to avoid theses
stresses for a happier, calmer and ultimately more fruitful days
work."
Birmingham's Seven Deadly Sins of Commuting
1. Bad/dangerous drivers
2. Delays and service interruptions
3. Road rage
4. Lack of information from service providers
5. People talking too loudly on their mobile phones
6. Pollution and overheating
7. Rude behaviour from other passengers