Workers with long commutes sleep less and are more likely to be obese

Long commutes to and from work appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing.

Long commutes are causing poor health and productivity outcomes for employees, according to new workplace research. A study of more than 34,000 workers across all industries in the UK, has examined the impact of commuting as well as flexible and home working on employee health and productivity. The study, developed by VitalityHealth and delivered in partnership with the University of Cambridge, found that employees whose commute to work is less than half an hour gain an additional seven days' worth of productive time each year, compared to those with commutes of 60 minutes or more.   Longer commutes appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with longer-commuting workers 33 percent more likely to suffer from depression, 37 percent more likely to have financial concerns, and 12 percent more likely to report work-related stress. These workers were also 46 percent more likely to get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep each night and 21 percent more likely to be obese. The study showed that flexible working has a positive impact on both employees' physical and mental health and their productivity. Employees who are able to work flexibly were less likely to be stressed or depressed and were also less likely to smoke, be obese or get insufficient sleep. These employees also had an additional five productive days each year compared to those with no flexible working arrangements. However, the study's results suggest that working from home does not bring the same benefits. Employees who were able to work from home but did not have flexible working arrangements were, in fact, the least productive, losing 29 working days each year - even more than those with no home working or flexible working arrangements.   Shaun Subel, director of strategy at VitalityHealth, says employers should explore flexible working arrangements as part of their workplace wellness and productivity strategy:

"These results demonstrate the significance of the daily work routine in influencing individuals' health and productivity. Allowing employees the flexibility to avoid the rush-hour commute where possible, or fit their routine around other commitments can help reduce stress and promote healthier lifestyle choices and, importantly, this is shown to actually impact positively on productivity."