Getting to work has now become a major part of the working day for many. Not so many years ago, most of the working population would be centred around their place of work – in railway villages, factory towns or tied farm cottages. Work and home were as close together geographically as was decently possible. Commuting, as such, really didn’t exist. OK, there was the short bike ride or walk, but it didn’t amount to that much timewise and, in many cases, the journey was undertaken alongside our workmates. It was a daily social event, in other words.
Nowadays, we sit in our isolated bubbles called cars, or crush ourselves against strangers on overfull and overpriced peak-hour public transport. The occasion is neither social nor cheap for the vast majority. Not only that, the journey can take hours a day.
So, given that it isn’t a particularly enjoyable event, have you ever stopped to consider exactly what it is costing you as a global figure? You should.
According to a recent study carried out by the Office of National Statistics, the average British worker spends a staggering 200 hours a year travelling. Even at Minimum Wage rates, this comes to £1,500 worth of your time each year.
On top of that, there is the cost of travelling. Just as an average, if we say that commuters travel at an average speed of 30 miles per hour and that it costs £0.80 a mile, that comes to £4,800 a year on commuting.
So, that’s a total of £6,300 a year in lost time and direct costs. This is a gross figure, don’t forget, you would need to earn over £8,000 to have that available. This is a big argument for finding work at home or nearer – even if it is lower paid.
I’m not saying that you should quit your job on the back of this but I am asking that you consider the full sum and think about how much it is costing you (in cash and stress) and also the burden each journey puts on the environment. Could you do a part of your job at home? With the cost as high as it is, why not even consider offering your employer a chance to knock a couple of thousand a year off your salary as an incentive? You’d still be better off in the long run.
One more statistic which you might be interested in – not surprisingly more men than women are commuters. The exact figure is 26%.
Is that journey to work really necessary?
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