National Commute Smart Week runs from from Sunday October 28 to Saturday November 3 2007.
November 1 last year was the first Commute Smart Day - and it got a massive thumbs up from everyone involved, so they've extended the initiative to last a whole week this time!
Workers in the UK already have the longest average daily commute in Europe: some people add another working day each week in travel time. I know how that feels, I used to spend three hours a day travelling so that's another two days sitting on buses and trains a week. I hated it and boy am I glad not to be at the mercy of public transport every day now...
Add to this the misery of traffic congestion and overcrowded public transport, and now the prospect of travelling to and from work in the dark for many months, it is no surprise that many succumb to depression and despondency. Not to mention 'public transport cold' - yuk.
Commute Smart Week, which starts on the day the clocks go back, will give a tantalising glance into a working life beyond the daily misery-trek. Employers that embrace smarter working, flexible working times (including flexitime, condensed hours and nine day fortnights), staggered journeys and part home working, reduce the overall need for their staff to commute, with flexibility in the times when they have to commute allowing them to avoid peak times.
If more employers took the plunge and looked into adopting these smarter working practices it wouldn't just be great news for harassed staff members, but it could have significant impact on traffic congestion (rather than just charging people for daring to drive to work) and public transport overcrowding by extending the rush hour and reducing peak demand, making the daily commute more bearable for those workers that have no choice.
Smarter working could also be good news for hospitals and emergency services - there is usually a significant increase in deaths and injuries on roads in the UK during the winter months, many of which are schoolchildren. So all in all, it really does pay to look into ways of making working days that bit smarter for everyone.
Work Wise UK will be publishing a series of tips and guidance on working smarter,but for now you can find details about Work Wise UK can be found on the website.
November 1 last year was the first Commute Smart Day - and it got a massive thumbs up from everyone involved, so they've extended the initiative to last a whole week this time!
Workers in the UK already have the longest average daily commute in Europe: some people add another working day each week in travel time. I know how that feels, I used to spend three hours a day travelling so that's another two days sitting on buses and trains a week. I hated it and boy am I glad not to be at the mercy of public transport every day now...
Add to this the misery of traffic congestion and overcrowded public transport, and now the prospect of travelling to and from work in the dark for many months, it is no surprise that many succumb to depression and despondency. Not to mention 'public transport cold' - yuk.
Commute Smart Week, which starts on the day the clocks go back, will give a tantalising glance into a working life beyond the daily misery-trek. Employers that embrace smarter working, flexible working times (including flexitime, condensed hours and nine day fortnights), staggered journeys and part home working, reduce the overall need for their staff to commute, with flexibility in the times when they have to commute allowing them to avoid peak times.
If more employers took the plunge and looked into adopting these smarter working practices it wouldn't just be great news for harassed staff members, but it could have significant impact on traffic congestion (rather than just charging people for daring to drive to work) and public transport overcrowding by extending the rush hour and reducing peak demand, making the daily commute more bearable for those workers that have no choice.
Smarter working could also be good news for hospitals and emergency services - there is usually a significant increase in deaths and injuries on roads in the UK during the winter months, many of which are schoolchildren. So all in all, it really does pay to look into ways of making working days that bit smarter for everyone.
Work Wise UK will be publishing a series of tips and guidance on working smarter,but for now you can find details about Work Wise UK can be found on the website.
1 comment:
As someone who travels two hours each day (that is 10 hours per week) on the tube, this strikes me as the best thing since sliced bread. Why do we all go to work at the same time? Why can't it be at different times? It strikes me as so obvious! Perhaps I should patent the idea as no one seems to do understand the concept!
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