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Johannesburg - A survey has identified the seven deadly sins of commuting that cause South African commuters the most stress, undermining their productivity and job satisfaction.
Released by workspace solutions company Regus on Monday, the survey found that bad and dangerous drivers topped the list.
Other stresses were: road rage, delays, lack of information on disruptions, pollution, rude behaviour of other drivers and those talking too loudly on cellphones.
"However, road rage, delays, lack of information from service providers and pollution also figured as major stress factors."
The findings included the time of the average one-way commute in SA, which was 29 minutes, although 25% of South Africans had to travel more than 45 minutes each way.
Yet the time taken to commute was less of an issue than the commuting experience.
"We can all recognise our own worst experiences in the findings of this survey," said Joanne Bushell, the vice-president of Regus SA.
"Road rage and dangerous driving are of real concern for drivers and pedestrians alike, hence their top billing."
Being left in the dark about service interruptions or traffic jams was also a killer for a calm and productive working day.
Those talking too loudly on cellphones constituted another stress factor, as well as the rude behaviour of fellow commuters, Bushell added.
"We advocate flexible working location and hours to avoid all these stresses and strains, which can have such an adverse effect on employees' throughput, motivation and happiness.
"Travelling to a work location closer to home, especially outside of peak hours, is often the best way to avoid these stresses for a happier, calmer and ultimately more fruitful day's work," she said.
Released by workspace solutions company Regus on Monday, the survey found that bad and dangerous drivers topped the list.
Other stresses were: road rage, delays, lack of information on disruptions, pollution, rude behaviour of other drivers and those talking too loudly on cellphones.
"However, road rage, delays, lack of information from service providers and pollution also figured as major stress factors."
The findings included the time of the average one-way commute in SA, which was 29 minutes, although 25% of South Africans had to travel more than 45 minutes each way.
Yet the time taken to commute was less of an issue than the commuting experience.
"We can all recognise our own worst experiences in the findings of this survey," said Joanne Bushell, the vice-president of Regus SA.
"Road rage and dangerous driving are of real concern for drivers and pedestrians alike, hence their top billing."
Being left in the dark about service interruptions or traffic jams was also a killer for a calm and productive working day.
Those talking too loudly on cellphones constituted another stress factor, as well as the rude behaviour of fellow commuters, Bushell added.
"We advocate flexible working location and hours to avoid all these stresses and strains, which can have such an adverse effect on employees' throughput, motivation and happiness.
"Travelling to a work location closer to home, especially outside of peak hours, is often the best way to avoid these stresses for a happier, calmer and ultimately more fruitful day's work," she said.
