Workers can't afford the commute to work

It comes to something when finances are that bad that you can't afford to go to work. But that is precisely what many workers are faced with according to a recent survey.

Figures show that nearly 35 per cent of working people have had to pull a 'sicky' or miss work because they couldn't afford to travel to work due to the cost of the commute.

What have we become as a society? The very fact that people can't afford to get to work because travel is that expensive is a joke and is economically insane.

It's not just train fares and other travel expenses that people are finding hard to manage either. The figures also highlight that even if people do manage to afford to get to work, once they are there, a quarter of them will not be able to concentrate properly because they are worried about debt repayments and how they are going to be able to manage to make it to payday.

Nearly 26 per cent of workers quizzed admitted that they try and deal with their finances during office hours as that is the only time they get to spend sorting out their budget, and money worries are always at the forefront of their mind. Of the 26 per cent, half of these people said money stress was also impacting their performance at work.

The findings paint a grim picture, but should also serve as a warning to employers that people are having a hard time.

In fact, many debt charities have urged employers to offer more support to workers who appear to be struggling and look under strain. Many debt experts have gone a step further and have even said that employers need to partake in training to spot the signs of money stress in people and provide guidance and support to those who need it. Debt charities unanimously agree that employers need to demonstrate 'corporate social responsibility'.