Average British worker spends 11 weeks a year commuting

Nick Elvin

British workers are spending on average more than 11 weeks a year commuting to and from work.

That’s according to software firm Cloudbooking, which has analysed the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that show commuting journeys are on the increase.

In 2003, the average UK commute was 45 minutes, but today it is 54 minutes, the ONS statistics show. And despite advancements in working from home, 87% 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,” said Gerry Brennan, CEO of Cloudbooking. “And our calculations are based on four weeks holiday a year and the 37.5-hour standard working week.”

Brennan said it was the duty of employers and the new government to work together to promote the benefits of remote working.

“Research by Stanford University in the US has shown that remote workers are 13% more productive and take fewer sick days than their commuting colleagues,” he added.

“We can only begin to scratch the surface at the moment if this working revolution were to be properly embraced. The costs of road maintenance and transport immediately spring to mind.

“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.”

Brennan said a lack of trust and understanding of how to manage a remote workforce was the reason that the practice isn’t more widespread.

“Managers need to assess a homeworker on their results,” he said. “All good companies know success is about results not how long an employee is at their desk.

“It’s a sea change of opinion that is slow, but I think in a century’s time future generations will look at what life was like in 2015, and wonder why were we all sitting on the M25.”