Latest research from flexible workspace provider Regus reveals that business people globally consider their daily trip to and from their office as a drain on productivity. This ‘limbo’ of time that is mainly seen as neither productive work time, nor enjoyable personal time is widely regarded as an obstacle to more useful or entertaining activities.
Of the 13,340 U.S. survey respondents, 38% report it is a pointless, undefined time, while 30% positively hate their commute and brand it as a ‘waste’ of their precious time. This means that for well over half of U.S. workers’ commute time could be re-invested in more productive work time or in enjoying a few more hours of sleep in the morning.
Key findings from American respondents
- Only a minority of business people (12%) regard commuting as profitable work time – with the majority declaring it is a drain on work and personal time;
- It is therefore time that businesses call it quits with commuting and help workers save time to re-invest in productive work or leisure;
- A small minority (19%) regard their commute as personal time, as they are able to read and catch up on the latest news on their smartphone
Jeff Doughman, Executive Vice President at Regus comments, “As commute times continue to get longer and longer, it is disturbing to find that the vast majority of workers regard their daily travel to and from work as a complete drain on their productivity and that they are equally unable to devote it to personal or leisure activities.”
“Business people globally are expected to always be available and connected, but in reality there is a much bigger and subtler drain on their productivity than not having a smartphone on hand, and that is the daily commute. Savvy businesses wanting to restore productivity and reward workers with more personal time or simply a few extra hours of sleep every once in a while, should allow employees to work closer to home at least some of the time.”