Britons move closer to workplace as unpaid overtime soars: Survey
Britons are fed up with long commutes on top of long workdays and are willing to sell their homes and move closer to work to cut down on travel time, according to a new survey.
ReallyMoving.com, which provides quotes for home-moving services, surveyed 6,000 home buyers in January and found proximity to work is the top priority for house hunters with 58 per cent citing ease of getting to and from their workplace as the most important influence in choosing the location for their new home.
Overall, 35 per cent of people who have moved to a new home said the deciding factor on location was good public transport links, while 23 per cent cited being close to work.
"While we have spent the last decade suffering a long daily commute for the chance of rest and relaxation at the weekends, now, as the knock-on effects of the recession hit, Britons are working harder than ever and moving closer to the workplace," said Rosemary Rogers, director of ReallyMoving.com.
Men are most likely to say the most essential factor in choosing a new home is how easily they can get to work with 68 per cent stating this is the most important aspect compared to 54 per cent of women.
The United Kingdom has the longest working hours in Europe and the number of people working extreme levels of unpaid overtime soared to almost 900,000 last year, according to the 2010 Trades Union Congress Survey of Working Hours.
The long working hours culture is now influencing how many people make the decision of where to buy or rent a home.
"The UK has the longest working hours in Europe and being able to get to their work place easily is increasingly becoming a priority for the nation’s home movers," said Rogers.
