Study shows traveling to and from work has a negative impact on health

A recent study from the Lund University in Sweden has found out that traveling to and from work has a negative impact on health.

According to the research, which assessed the daily commuting  routines and their impact in the health 12,000 workers between the ages of 18 and 65, employees who go to work by car or public transportation have a higher probability of suffering from stress related illnesses. The study also found that the longer the commuting the higher the toll on employee’s health.

“Generally car and public transport users suffered more everyday stress, poorer sleep quality, exhaustion and, on a seven point scale, felt that they struggled with their health compared to the active commuters,” said researcher Erik Hansson.

But such issues don’t affect just employees, in the end they affect companies as well. By impacting the employees quality of life, they, in turn, affect their productivity and work performance. 

Still, not all commuting is bad. The study shows that people who go to the office by foot or bicycle do not suffer from the same levels of stress and exhaustion than those who travel by car or public transportation, but these are, by far, a minority.

Such results raise important questions:

Is there any way to avoid commuting stress induced?

Are there any alternatives to car and public transportation commuting?

What’s the role of businesses and companies in promoting a stress free and more productive work environment?

The answers to these three questions might be telecommuting.

Remote work allows employees to work from home and connect remotely to their offices avoiding commuting altogether. Telecommuting isn’t just healthier, it allows employees to better balance their work with their family time and increases productivity and performance, according to several surveys.

The role of companies is to integrate these practices in their business operations and give the opportunity to their employees to work from home.

Businesses should implement real-time collaboration solutions, such as RHUB web conferencing and remote support appliance, which allows workers to be remotely connected to their offices and work with their fellow employees and their superiors in a virtual environment.