Thirty-Three Percent of U.S. Employees Consider Quitting Jobs Due to Hour-Plus Commutes

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As staff reductions continue, managers painstakingly assess what talent will keep their companies afloat, and what salaries and benefits will keep that talent in place. However, according to Regus (LSE:RGU), business leaders may be overlooking a critical factor of successful employee retention—commuting time. Research conducted by Regus, the global leader in flexible workplace solutions, indicates that 16 percent of the U.S. workforce has considered leaving a job as a result of commuting distance in general.

“While businesses can’t control the traffic, they can control where and how efficiently their staff works. We’re no longer tethered to a static office environment with alternatives from virtual offices to cost-effective, fully-equipped offices that are closer to an employee’s home.”

Not surprisingly, the distaste for trekking to work increases dramatically when assessing the length of a commute. Thirty-three percent of people polled by Regus claim that, despite enjoying their jobs, they have considered resigning due to a commute of an hour or more.² These long commutes are fueled by traffic congestion, distance traveled and construction delays. Bay Area residents are no strangers to this, ranking fifth in the nation when calculating average hours wasted during peak drive times.³

California businesses should acknowledge that providing employees with alternative workspaces can minimize the threat of losing talent to taxing commutes.

“Time lost in the car can mean time lost in the office. Let’s not forget the damaging impact terrible commutes can also have on a person’s mood and, in turn, their productivity,” said Sande Golgart, west region vice president for Regus. “While businesses can’t control the traffic, they can control where and how efficiently their staff works. We’re no longer tethered to a static office environment with alternatives from virtual offices to cost-effective, fully-equipped offices that are closer to an employee’s home.”

Conducted in September and August of 2009, Regus’ research includes responses from 11,000 businesses in 13 countries. The study builds on the company’s assertion that workplace flexibility is vital to success in today’s market. Regus’ network of ready-to-use offices, meeting rooms and business lounges offers professionals first-class alternatives to hotels, copy shops, coffee houses, and, in the case of Bay Area workers, behind the wheel/the driver’s seat/the car. Such options are proven to decrease employee turnover and operational expenses.

More than 3,000 companies in the Bay Area alone are supplementing their employee benefits with flexible workplace solutions. And, that number is expected to rise as Regus continues to roll innovative out new services.

“Every time you pick up a newspaper, you read about creative ways businesses are changing their work styles,” added Golgart. “These new operational tactics are vital to survival in these uncertain times. If simply allowing an employee to work from a nearby location gains you better results and less overhead, how can you pass that up?”

About Regus

Regus is the world’s leading global provider of innovative workspace solutions, with products and services ranging from fully equipped offices to professional meeting rooms, business lounges and the world’s largest network of video communication studios. Regus delivers a new way to work, whether it’s from home, on the road or from an office. Clients such as Google, GlaxoSmithKline, and Nokia join thousands of growing small and medium businesses that benefit from outsourcing their office and workspace needs to Regus, allowing them to focus on their core business.

More than 500,000 clients a day benefit from Regus facilities spread across a global footprint of 1,000 locations in 450 cities and 78 countries, which allow individuals and companies to work wherever, however and whenever they want to. Regus was founded in 1989 in Brussels, Belgium and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:RGU).

For more information please visit www.regus.com/bayarea or call 1-877-REGUS-01. Connect with Regus Bay Area on Twitter.

Journalists can also visit the Regus online press center at www.regus.presscentre.com.

¹ Regus Businesstracker, 2009
² Ibid
³ Texas Transportation Institute, 2009 Urban Mobility Report, July 2009