London workers spent an additional 1.3m hours getting to work on the morning of Wednesday 10th June alone due to travel disruptions caused by the Tube Strike, equivalent to 188,000 lost working days. A survey of 1,000 Londoners, commissioned by Citrix Online, found that 33% of London-based employees were disrupted by the strike by London Underground workers. Many abandoned their journey to work altogether with 5% working from home, 2% taking the day off and 1% even admitting to taking a ‘sickie’.
The Citrix Online survey also found that, despite 47% of London workers saying they could be just as productive working from home, an astonishing 54% were banned from doing so by their employer. 43% of workers who don’t always work from home said their employer expected them to work their hours as normal with only 18% showing some flexibility in terms of hours worked. The results suggest that London businesses are losing valuable revenues by failing to allow employees to work remotely and avoid the longer commute.
Bernardo de Albergaria, VP and General Manager at Citrix Online, said: “The internet is ensuring businesses are more connected than ever, so it is disappointing, but not totally surprising, to find there is a lack of confidence among London businesses in allowing employees to make use of web-based tools to overcome disruptions.
“The survey clearly demonstrates that workers could be as or more productive working from home, but unfortunately many businesses are not being as quick to recognise the benefits of adopting a flexible working approach in their business continuity plans. With the right technologies in place, it is easy for businesses to enable their employees to work from any web-connected computer and still access all the emails and files in the office, as if they were there in person.”
Dr Helen Hill, Policy Director at the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said: “This stoppage could not come at a worse time for the London economy, and will deal a body-blow to many already hard-pressed businesses. This two day strike could cost the capital up to £100 million in lost productivity.”
Hamish Grant, a Consultant living in Maida Vale who commutes to South West London said: “The tube strike passed me by really. I worked from home and was at my desk by 8.30 - earlier than if I had been in the office. I definitely work more effectively from home and had all the tools I needed to do a good job. I was even able to conduct remote meetings and work with colleagues online.”
GoToMyPC is just one of Citrix Online’s real time, on-demand tools that companies can quickly put in place to assist business continuity - without investing in expensive equipment, installation or training:
- GoToMyPC® (www.gotomypc.co.uk) for providing secure remote access to the desktop from any web browser, anywhere in the world. Employees can use this and be productive without leaving their homes.
- GoToMeeting® (www.gotomeeting.co.uk) for meeting and collaborating online with employees, customers and prospects, reducing the need for travel while saving time.
- GoToWebinar® (www.gotowebinar.co.uk) for hosting easy, inexpensive online events for up to 1000 attendees.
- GoToAssist® and GoToAssist® Express™ (www.gotoassist.co.uk) for cost-efficient online technical support for businesses and individuals, including a convenient day-pass option with GoToAssist Express for occasional remote support and troubleshooting.
The GoToMyPC survey was conducted between Wednesday 10th and Friday 12th June by YouGov and interviewed 1,021 Londoners.
