Running Late – Heathrow Express

WORK TARDINESS COSTS UK ECONOMY £9 BILLION (¹)

2012-10-1 — /travelprnews.com/ — New research out today reveals that a whopping 590,000 people are late for work every single day, with work tardiness costing the economy £9 billion per year in lost time. More than half (56 per cent) of UK workers are late at least five times a month to meetings and events, equivalent to 60 occasions per person each year.

The study of 1,000(²) employees by Heathrow Express found that 82 per cent of Brits think that being late is unprofessional, but as many as one in ten (ten per cent) have been late for a job interview.

Worryingly 11 per cent say a late arrival has contributed to the loss of a potential new client. Regular lateness means that each employee loses an average of 97 minutes per month costing British employers £305 per head every year.

The main cause of tardiness was traffic caused by road works (41 per cent). Other reasons included public transport delays (29 per cent), unforeseen circumstances such as someone being unwell (25 per cent), bad weather (18 per cent), sleeping through the alarm (14 per cent) and leaving something behind (12 per cent).

According to the findings:

• The stress of being late affects over half (63 per cent) of those running behind with the after-effects negatively impacting on the entire day for 39 per cent of those polled
• Almost a quarter (23 per cent) agree that they perform badly in meetings after a late arrival, while nearly half (48 per cent) think that their own lateness negatively affects the performance of their colleagues too
• Nearly two in ten (19 per cent) admitted their late arrival had resulted in a disastrous meeting
• Three quarters (74 per cent) of employees say that being tardy makes them feel guilty with nearly half (48 per cent) agreeing that people lose respect for them as a result of their lateness

The research by Heathrow Express – which provides the fastest way from central London to Heathrow for around 16,000 passengers every day – found that the detrimental effects of being late can be long-lasting. On average, it takes nearly an hour (49 minutes) for people to feel calm and in control after a tardy arrival. 46 per cent of those surveyed admitted that the stress caused by being late lasts for between 10 and 60 minutes at least, affecting their concentration and interaction with colleagues.

Dr. Cecilia d’Felice, a behavioural psychologist who worked with Heathrow Express to examine the findings said: “The cost of lateness to the economy is enormous, but potentially even more serious is the detrimental impact it can have on workplace performance, team morale and productivity.

“Encouragingly, no one likes being late as it makes them feel guilty, but this feeling can have a negative impact on workplace performance in the longer term. The fact that people admit their own lateness affects the performance of those around them is of concern as the example they set to other members of staff around them is critical.”

Keith Greenfield, Managing Director for Heathrow Express, added: “Time is money and when it comes to making business journeys, punctuality and speed are crucial. Reliable public transport plays an important role in helping workers combat lateness. We’re really proud of the fact that our fleet of 150 trains operate at 99% reliability, ensuring that the six million passengers who rely on our service every year to reach central London arrive on time.”

Heathrow Express and Dr. d’Felice have produced some top tips to help travellers avoid being late:

1. Register for apps and mobile notifications that keep you up to date with travel conditions on everything including road, rail and air
2. Make the most of your journey time – on Heathrow Express you can take advantage of the stress free environment to prepare for your busy day ahead.
3. Invest in an alarm with an international time setting for overseas travel and position your alarm clock so that you have to get out of bed to turn it off
4. Plan to be early and use the time to indulge in your favourite coffee, catch up on emails or take some quiet time for yourself

ENDS

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