Workers who spend more than an hour on public transport are more stressed, more depressed, and more obese.
More ecological, (often) faster, safer… Public transport is sometimes very painful, but has some advantages. Their users walk a little more than their driving counterparts, and are thus in better health: lower BMI, less body fat, therefore less risk of cardiovascular disease, among others. They would even have better morale.
Yes, but… Like all good things, they should not be abused. All these benefits diminish when the transport time exceeds 60 minutes. This is revealed by a study carried out on more than 34,000 British workers, carried out by researchers from the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with VitalityHealth (British insurer), RAND Europe and Mercer (two American think tanks).
The stress-sleep-obesity trio
Users who take more than an hour to go to work are 33% more likely to suffer from depression than those whose various changes take less than 30 minutes. They are also 12% to declare themselves more stressed, 46% to not sleep enough, and the researchers counted 21% more obese.
They would also be 37% more worried about financial problems, and their productivity is lower: per year, the researchers estimate that they lose 7 days of working time. A small spade sent to employers, who are called upon to adapt for the health of their employees, but also of their company.
Flexibility is better than telework
“Our research suggests that employers could consider implementing more flexible working hours, with a view to well-being at work, within a productivity management strategy,” said Shaun Subel, director of the strategy at VitalityHealth. Allowing them to avoid rush hour when possible can reduce stress and promote a healthier lifestyle. This has a positive impact on productivity. »
The subjects of the study in this case are indeed the least stressed and the least depressed, smoke less, are less obese, and sleep more. At the same time, they gain 5 days of productivity per year. Benefits that are not found among those who can work from home, but for whom the hours are not flexible. They are even the least productive, with 29 days lost per year.
In France, between 11 and 15% of active 25-54 year olds are “highly mobile”, who spend more than two hours a day in public transport or in the car, according to a study by the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (Switzerland), published in 2015. If, in certain countries such as Switzerland or Germany, this mobility is often chosen, this is not the case for the French, who undergo it: for 28% of them , mobility is an anti-unemployment weapon.
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