UK workers face longest commute times ever

More than 1.3 million Londoners face a commute of more than an hour a day, new research shows, leading to calls for more flexible working.

According to figures from the Trades Union Congress, workers in the capital are most likely to have the longest commute, but the number of people travelling to work for over an hour is rising all across the country.

In Wales the commutes of over an hour each day have risen by 43 per cent, closely followed by Northern Ireland (up 42.2 per cent) and the south-west (41.4 per cent).

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "We work some of the longest hours in Europe, and on top of this have to endure the second longest daily commute in Europe - on average 54 minutes per day.

"This adds up to a very stressful working week for millions of workers across the UK, and employers could ease this strain for their workers by introducing flexible working."

Firms looking to help reduce congestion and reduce their employees' stress levels could make use of an IP PBX and VoIP to ensure that calls can reach staff no matter if they are in the office or working from home.

In addition, a virtual private server can allow access to sensitive company files over a secure internet connection.