Chairman's blog: Productivity: Paradox, Puzzle, Problem or Symptom? - By David Lennan, Chairman, Work Wise UK

/
Chairman's blog: Productivity: Paradox, Puzzle, Problem or Symptom? - By David Lennan, Chairman, Work Wise UK

Commute Smart week is a very significant week in the year for the Work Wise UK calendar, when the clocks go back and we reflect on some of the stunning headlines that have hit the press during the year. A real standout one is that Traffic Congestion is estimated to cost the UK Economy more than £300 Billion over the next 16 years according to a study from INRIX and the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

Work Wise UK has focused attention on the Productivity conundrum and these massive missing £Billions for several years, but during this last year, more has been written about Productivity than at any time in our Industrial history and if the gurus are to be believed, we continue to slip down the International productivity leagues and are now said to produce 17% less per hour worked than other G7 Nations.

The Government has now set Sir Charlie Mayfield the task of finding “The Missing Billions” £130bn to be more precise, said to be lost to the British economy through poor productivity. Well, as we are now in full flow towards Brexit he and his team had better find the answers to that puzzle quickly, as the impact for most of us will probably be felt in our Workplaces and our pay packets. Whether the impact will result from changes to our Laws, our Terms of Trade, or simply because our attitudes and behaviors at work are not changing to create more productive workplace cultures, is yet another problem and perhaps even the big one to solve.

Read More

Guest blog: Commuters: get happy! - By Melissa Addey - A full-time writer and the 2016 Writer in Residence for the British library

/
Guest blog: Commuters: get happy! - By Melissa Addey - A full-time writer and the 2016 Writer in Residence for the British library

Commuting is bad for you. Really bad for you. If you commute you are more likely to be overweight, suffer from anxiety, stress, depression and social isolation. You are more likely to sleep badly and be exhausted, have high blood sugar (which could lead to diabetes), high blood pressure and cholesterol (which could lead to heart attacks) and experience neck and back pain. Oh, and you are 40% more likely to get divorced.

Read More

Guest blog: Our ticketing system is structurally sexist - we need part-time tickets now - By Lianna Etkind, Public Transport Campaigner, Campaign for Better Transport→

/
Guest blog: Our ticketing system is structurally sexist - we need part-time tickets now - By Lianna Etkind, Public Transport Campaigner, Campaign for Better Transport

The need for part-time and flexible season tickets has never been greater. Over eight million people are now working part-time, with many more working from home or one or more days a week.

But the country’s ticketing system has not kept pace, and is still stuck in an outdated model of five-day-a-week commuting. Whilst annual, monthly and weekly discounts are available, they are based on travelling five days a week.

Campaign for Better Transport’s Fair Fares Now campaign has been calling for cheaper, fairer and simpler train fares for years. So we welcomed the Conservative Party’s manifesto promise to introduce part-time season tickets, so that the millions of people who work part-time would be able to travel to work more cheaply. Over a year later though, and little progress has been made. Part-time commuters are still having to pay through the nose for 5-day a week season tickets they don’t use two days a week; or pay full whack for peak time daily fares. Part time workers get paid two thirds less than full time workers on average, and many must cope with the high cost of childcare. Why should we have to pay extra for travel too?

Read More

Guest blog: Smarter working and better transport needed to beat the commuter blues - By Frances O'Grady, General Secretary of the TUC

/
Guest blog: Smarter working and better transport needed to beat the commuter blues - By Frances O'Grady, General Secretary of the TUC

Travelling to work can be unbearable. Long commutes feel like wasted time, and clog up our transport networks. Commute Smart Week is a great opportunity to talk about how we can make the journey better, shorter, or even eliminate them.

As November bites, many of us will be commuting in the cold and the dark. Trees will have shed their leaves. You don’t have to live in the Pennines, where the first snows fell a month ago, in order to get the feeling that simply getting to work can itself be hard work. 
And things are not getting any easier. The average yearly commute has increased by 10 hours since 2010. One in seven employees are now commuting for more than two hours a day, up by 900,000 since last year. 

Read More

Guest blog: Cycle safe, cycle smart over the winter months - By Fredrik Carling, CEO of Hövding, the world's first and only airbag for cyclists

/
Guest blog: Cycle safe, cycle smart over the winter months - By Fredrik Carling, CEO of Hövding, the world's first and only airbag for cyclists

The growth of cycling in the UK has taken many people by surprise, especially considering the British long-standing love of the motorcar.  People are embracing cycling in many ways – from the daily commute to competitive pursuits, as riding has been widely acknowledged as a great way to stay fit.  However as we move into the winter months, British cyclists do need to be aware of the potential dangers and how to minimise their risk on the roads.

On average, 5.7 million UK adults cycle regulary every month and many British organisations aim to increase this number by accelerating their promotions of cycling, working hard to highlight the benefits that the sport provides. The ‘Cycle to Work Scheme’ is just one example of plans that encourage cycling commuters, promote a healthy workforce, and provide environmentally friendly travel options.  

Read More