The shift to hybrid working means people no longer need to travel to a city centre office every day of the week.

In 2019, the average daily commute lasted 59 minutes. That’s six hours a week of travelling – almost a whole working day. In the hybrid world, where people get to work from a combination of home, a local flexspace and, now and then, a city centre HQ, part-time commutes will make people not only happier and less stressed but more productive.

In 2022 and beyond, navigating rush hour will become a thing of the past – at least on some days of the week. In its place is a new trend for the part-time commute, which not only saves employees money, but contributes to less stress and more time for health-promoting activities such as exercise and sleep. What’s more, reduced traffic means significantly lower carbon emissions.

The benefits of the part-time commute are manifold. Think of having an extra half hour in bed, calmly getting up and seeing the kids off to school in good time and then sitting down at a home desk or strolling to a nearby flexspace. Plus, for businesses, employee wellbeing means greater efficiency – and that boosts the bottom line.

The peace of mind that comes from working locally can’t be underestimated. A recent global survey of 9,000 knowledge workers by Slack found that – as well as less time and money spent on commuting – respondents valued an improved work/life balance and a less stressful working environment as perks of working close to home.

“With more time and fewer office stressors, on average, they seem to experience a boost in their quality of life,” the survey concluded. Further benefits come from the chance to spend more time with family and loved ones (and even pets), while it’s also easier to find time to fit errands into a daily schedule.

However, for those days when the commute can’t be avoided, hotel group Accor is offering a way of easing the pain. Its ‘Commute and Stay’ package for part-time commuters offers the opportunity to have a city base for the night in a central location, as well as a venue for evening entertainment with clients, colleagues or friends.

Karelle Lamouche, Chief Commercial Officer for Accor Northern Europe, says: “It is clear a hybrid model of office work and ‘working from anywhere’ is here to stay. The ‘Commute and Stay’ offer enables workers to capitalise on this hybrid future of work and live anywhere just as they work from anywhere.”

The rise of the part-time commute is one of ten trends identified in IWG’s white paper, The Future of Work: a trends forecast for 2022.

With locations in thousands of neighbourhoods all over the world, find out how Regus can help your business thrive in the new, hybrid world of work.

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