VoIP home working 'safer' for winter

Avoiding the commuter rush by working from home this winter could save lives, it has been suggested.

Non-profit group Work Wise advised companies to set up virtual private networks and VoIP systems to allow their workers to stay at home to complete their tasks.

The group highlighted official figures which showed the difference in casualties on the roads between the summer and winter months.

Around 20 per cent more pedestrians were killed in the winter last year compared to the summer, while 12 per cent more car users were either killed or seriously injured in road crashes, the statistics show.

Work Wise chief executive Paul Flaxton said: "Workers here already have the second longest average daily commute in Europe: in many cases adding an entire working day each week.

"Add to this the misery, tension and delays of traffic congestion and overcrowding on trains, tubes and buses, and now the prospect of travelling to and from work in the dark for many months: it is no surprise that many succumb to depression and despondency."

IP telephony could be one way of avoiding the rush, while Work Wise also suggested that companies vary their work times to allow their employees to get to work outside of peak travel times.

But home working may be the best idea for many firms as it also carries environmental benefits.

Work Wise claimed: "If all commuters could work just one day a week at home, commuter numbers would fall 20 per cent. This would reduce road congestion and public transport over-crowding significantly."