One third of London’s high earners
slept in the office or a nearby hotel in the week, according to a new survey.
The survey from
property advisors GVA Grimley claims that commuting is the biggest concern for
London-based workers.
One in 10 of
those surveyed says they avoid travel problems by living in a London-based flat
or hotel during the week rather than their family home.
But despite the transport problems,
London-based employees do not see home-working as an alternative. Over three-quarters
– 77 per cent – of those surveyed are able to work from home but only 13 per
cent do so more than once a month.
Stephen Robinson, senior partner at
GVA Grimley, said, “The poor state of London’s public transport creates a
dilemma for many city-based employers. The congestion and high rents are
constraining their use of space but the intensifying war for talent means that
they must provide a high-quality working environment or risk losing valuable
staff to their competitors.”
According to the survey, the average
time it takes a high earner to commute is nearly three hours each way. 86 per
cent of the 200 lawyers, bankers, consultants and media professionals surveyed
travel by public transport.