An increasing number of people could start to work from home after the latest hike in rail fares, it has been suggested.
There was an average fare rise of 5.9 per cent announced at the end of 2011, which fell just below the cap of six per cent introduced by the chancellor George Osborne. This means that an average annual season ticket now swallows up around eight per cent of the median UK salary at £2,028.
According to the Hay Group's latest PayNet UK Salary Tracker, in some cases commuters will end up spending up to 21 per cent of their annual salary on their commute.
Stuart McMillan, reward information consultant at the group, suggested that employers may start to be more open to alternative options for their employees in light of the expense.
He remarked: “Employers need to be aware of this when considering reward packages, and consider benefits such as interest free season ticket loans and greater flexibility to work from home.”
As expected, the survey revealed that London commuters spend the largest proportion of their salary on commuting at 17 per cent for operative level workers, rising to 20 per cent for journeys over 50 minutes.
