Concerns raised over post-pandemic commutes, research suggests

As the Covid-19 pandemic begins to subside and employees look to return to the workplace following the easing of lockdown and social distancing restrictions, many may be reluctant to commute to and from work owing to the risk of the virus, data from Kura suggests.

The firm conducted a nationwide survey and found that nearly one-fifth of respondents, all of whom work in manufacturing, plan to never commute again post-pandemic.

Lockdown restrictions are set to be lifted in England on July 19, with the nation's vaccine response set to be tested against the delta variant. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales may also choose to end their restrictions on this date.

Read more: UK lockdown restrictions to end on July 19

The reluctance to return to the workplace stems largely from the travel to and from work, with nearly 60% of respondents across the UK admitting they hold real concerns around their commutes and the risk of transmission once lockdown ends.

Early in the pandemic, around half of the UK's labour force was working from home, but many businesses have begun reopening their offices in order to return to come a degree of normalcy.

Hybrid working - switching between working within an office and working home - may be the key to work's future post-pandemic. Another study, which was conducted in the hospitality sector, suggests as many as 60% of workers found reduced stress operating a hybrid working environment.

Hybrid working may also allow businesses to properly operate social distancing policies in the workplace, which may help alleviate certain anxieties about returning to work.

Kura found that nearly 40% of workers quizzed would prefer a hybrid working system, whereas 42% expressed a desire to return to the office full-time.

However, stress about the daily commute still remains a primary concern for a number of workers.

A lack of social distancing and infection control on public transport were listed as major concerns by respondents. Across the UK, 36% of workers hold Covid-related concerns about the future of the commute, with this percentage increasing to 54.4% for those commuting in and around London.

Kura suggests that 16.4% of companies expressed a desire to monitor or support employees in their public transport use going forward, signalling this may not be a major concern for a number of employers.

As such, over half of respondents who expressed an interest in returning to the office admitted they would travel by car - 51% in traditional diesel or petrol engines and 7% in electric vehicles - signalling car use may spike post-pandemic.

Read more: London Mayor launches England's first hydrogen buses

The data also suggests this concern has been amplified among the senior workforce, with 98% of board-level employees, 85% of directors and 77% of managers surveyed "holding the biggest concerns" over the future of the commute. Whether this is about their own commutes or concerns over the effects on employees is unclear.

Conversely, 84% of executives in another study found face-to-face meetings preferable in a world where virtual meetings have become the norm, suggesting executives will look to have employees back in the office in as timely a manner as possible.

There also has been significant anxiety amongst those in graduate or junior executive roles, who may be more reliant on public transport owing to lower incomes.

Kura's CEO Godfrey Ryan implied there may be more trepidation regarding the daily commute in the near future, but admitted that as many as 30% of firms in London - which tends to have longer commutes from outside the city - expressing a desire to support employees on their commute.

He said: "Hopefully we will start to see other regions across the UK follow suit in the coming months, as the capital sets the precedent.

"With increased awareness around factors such as infection control and social distancing, we will inevitably see a shift in the commuting landscape.

Read more: This "Office of the Future" is equipped to operate during a pandemic

“For public transport commuters, in particular, the perceived lack of infection control, the unreliability of service and overcrowding is hampering employers hopes of an office-based or hybrid workforce post lockdown."

He added: "As these fears continue to prevent workers from wanting to return to the office, it is time for employers to step up and offer alternative travel support to their employees where necessary."

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