Employers should introduce greater flexibility into working practices it is claimed as new research suggests the number of commuters spending more than two hours daily travelling to and from work has increased by 72% to three million over the past 10 years, according to a TUC analysis of official figures.
The figures – published to mark Commute Smart Week organised by Work Wise UK – also show that the number of commuters travelling for three or more hours a day has risen by 75%, from 500,000 to 880,000 over the last decade.
On average UK commuting times rose by three minutes a day from 2004 to 2014, from 52 to 55 minutes, meaning workers are spending, on average, 11 hours and 42 minutes longer a year commuting now than they were 10 years ago.
The data has prompted calls for employers to review current working practices and introduce greater flexibility to work schedules, including more home working. The TUC also highlights
that more low-paid workers faced longer and costlier commutes just to get to work.