How Reducing The Commute Will Help Your Business
Why allowing longer commute times to improve productivity is nothing but an unproductive strategy.
It’s time for everyone to start embracing the benefits of #SmartWorking!
Two different studies conducted by renowned universities, analysed the impact traditional work journeys had on employees, compared with flexible working options. The findings revealed how long commutes can in fact, negatively impact people’s lives. And here’s why:
Productivity
Did you ever think that starting your day stuck in traffic or on public transport might replace your productive morning energy? Instead of feeling fresh and inspired for the day, by the time you get to work you’ve already experienced stress and frustration, even though the day is only starting. You then have to endure the same feelings on your commute home.
VitalityHealth, the University of Cambridge, RAND Europe and Mercer investigated the daily work journey of over 34,000 across all industries in UK. According to the study, for those facing a daily work commute of an hour or more, the less inclined they are to be fully productive. It found those with a commute of half an hour or less, end up gaining an equivalent of 7 days worth of more productivity per year.
Another study conducted by Stanford University revealed that praising employees for longer hours in the office, negatively impacts team performance. Employees are more likely to make mistakes when working long hours which consequently, affects the company’s results.
Health
A long commute has also been proven to correlate with an increase in health-related issues. Longer-commuting workers are more likely to struggle with both physical and mental health. Results show that people with ongoing long commutes are 33% more inclined to suffer from depression, 37% more likely to have financial issues and 12% more likely to experience various forms of work-related stress. They are also more likely to develop diabetes, increased blood sugar levels and higher cholesterol. Excessive tiredness and absence in work are also related to health problems, which directly affects employee productivity.
“Time scarcity is a significant cause of stress and unhealthy behaviour across UK employees. A number of factors combine to create this time scarcity, but carer responsibilities and increased commuting times at peak hours due to a lack of availability of affordable housing close to workplaces, are key issues.”
– Chris Bailey, partner at Mercer
#SmartWorking – A New Strategy
Abodoo’s philosophy of #SmartWorking benefits both employees and employers, all the while increasing productivity. The two-year experiment by Stanford University was conducted on Ctrip, the largest travel agency in China, with 16,000 employees. To overcome the challenge of long commutes affecting the business, the CEO James Liang, introduced the ability for employees to work remotely for the first time, and it worked better than he could ever have imagined!
The conclusions of the study showed a striking boost of productivity among Ctrip employees. They revealed a significant improvement in time and work management and also in employee concentration. In addition, employee’s attrition rates in the company decreased by 50%, employees were found to take shorter breaks, less time off and had fewer sick-days.
Last but not least, #SmartWorking initiative saved Ctrip nearly $2,000 per employee by reducing their amount of office space.
“Allowing employees the flexibility to avoid the rush-hour commute where possible, or fit their routine around other commitments can help reduce stress and promote healthier lifestyle choices and, importantly, this is shown to actually impact positively on productivity.” – Shaun Subel, director at Vitality Health
Is it not time to embrace change and face the fact that #SmartWorking is the future of work? Whether the improvement is on productivity, health or savings, #SmartWorking really is the answer!
Start your #SmartWorking journey now and register on Abodoo today!
