With the steep rise in fuel prices over the last few months, many people are looking for ways to reduce their fuel spending as much as possible.
As a result of the Covid 19 outbreak, many employees were told to work from home as a temporary solution, as this allowed them to be productive without the risk of being in an enclosed space with others and having to take public transport. The rising petrol prices and affordability now form part of a growing conversation about permanently working from home in South Africa.
Unfortunately for many, this means that they will have to reprioritize their expenses and likely reduce costs spent on non-essential items. The office market is being challenged by underutilized spaces due to more employees working from home. With the high fuel prices, it is expected that commuters who can work from home will do exactly that, in an effort to reduce their fuel bills. This could lead to office spaces becoming redundant and employees being encouraged to work from home as far as possible, even if this means 1 or 2 days a week.
The world is slowly moving towards work flexibility, depending on the field and industry you are in. The fuel increases have had a strong impact on consumers’ pockets, and the current cost of living has made it extremely challenging for people to manage their finances.
Some people simply cannot avoid commuting to work and still must drive their kids to school and run additional errands throughout the day. People will need to carefully plan their day-to-day or weekly travel, or alternatively join or start a work lift club to save on costs.
Business leaders are faced with a key challenge – making the office worth the commute for their employees. The biggest opportunity for business leaders is to reimagine the role and purpose of the office space and create clarity around why, when, and how often teams need to gather in person.
This is still a very uncertain topic of conversation, and businesses are going to have to start re-thinking the way in which they run and operate their businesses, potentially re-evaluating the number of days spent inside the office while looking into implementing more work-from-home days to accommodate their employees.
Websites used for this article:
https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/employees-likely-travel-work-less-save-fuel-costs
