‘Boss, I’m stressed because…’
A survey identifies the top seven ways people get stressed out before they even reach the office. (Photo: AFP)
You rush out of the house hoping to clear the ERP gantry before the charges go up, but along the way you find yourself stuck behind a driver who's travelling at 70 km/hour on the first lane of the expressway.
By the time you reach the office, you are seething at the road hog and the other driver who recklessly cut into your lane.
Sound familiar?
A survey by workplace solutions provider Regus identified the top seven occurrences that cause people in Singapore the most stress on the way to work.
Topping the list: bad and dangerous drivers.
The average one-way commute takes 32 minutes in Singapore and two in 10 commuters take more than 45 minutes. "Yet the time taken to commute is less of an issue than the commuting experience," observed Regus.
Other travel-related causes of stress include delays and services interruptions, other commuters' body odour and people who talk too loudly on their mobile phones.
The data are part of Regus' Global Business Survey, which draws from interviews of over 10,000 respondents worldwide through email and online surveys. The respondents are representative of senior managers and business owners.
For director Jay Tan, 27, taxi drivers who refuse to give way on the road and cars that hog the fast lane used to make him furious.
But now he tries to adopt a calmer attitude. "I'll just smile and forget about it," he said.
Ms Catherine Chong, 28, who takes the bus to work, shared, "People who stink on the bus stress me out… I feel like I need a shower myself (after reaching work)."
She either moves away or tries to breathe through a wet tissue. "At least there's some kind of fragrance to mask the stench," said the researcher.
Her other pet peeves include a "jerky bus" and "loud-mouthed passengers".
Engineer Kevin Chan, 32, describes his short drive to work as smooth, except for the occasional traffic jam.
To help employees reduce their commuting stress so they can be more productive at work, Regus suggested employers introduce flexible working locations and hours.
"Travelling to a work location closer to home, especially outside of peak hours, is often the best way to avoid theses stresses for a happier, calmer and ultimately more fruitful day's work," said Regus vice president of Southeat Asia and Australia and New Zealand William Willems.
Singapore's "seven deadly sins" of commuting:
Bad/dangerous drivers
Delays and service interruptions
Other commuters' body odour or bad breath or smelly food
People talking too loudly on their mobile phones
Rude behaviour from other passengers
Road rage
Lack of information from service providers, such as information on routes, schedules and delays
What are your pet peeves?
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