Generation Y and the Workplace Annual Report 2010 - Haworth

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Focus
Travel
How would you prefer to travel to and from work?
Overview
Travelling to and from work can be a hassle. Whether people take public transport, drive, and cycle or
even walk to work. It is important as an employer to consider this issue when one wants to understand
people’s behaviours and attitudes towards work. In fact, travel can influence the decision about where
to open new offices, but can also influence recruitment rates and attraction. Although there seems
to be an on-going trend of walking to work, congestions are still major influences to those using
public and private transportations. To overcome such a challenge, certain countries and organisations
encourage travel schemes like car sharing, cycle to work, public transport subsidiaries. The Netherlands
is notorious for cycling and in the Dutch culture cycling is widely spread and accepted. However not
all countries have the luxury to permit their citizens to cycle to work in safe conditions. Urban living
and cycling are in perfect harmony and an office city / urban location is completely accepted, if not
preferred. But how does it defer from a country to another one?
Results:
With the increase of the cost of energy and petrol, employers are seriously questioning where a new
office needs to be opened and how it will influence their recruitment rates. Recent discussion around
carbon taxing is forcing governments and corporates to review their travel policies and start to
encourage a greener behaviour in relation to transport.
Figure 12: Mode of Transport: all ages, all countries
Global WorkPlace Innovation
Walking is in demand and across the sample,
17% would prefer to walk to work. For the
older generation, the traditionalists, walking
is the top choice (36%). Car is still a favourite
and on average 40% would prefer to travel
to work by car. Even if 42% would choose
a hybrid car, it remains in high demand. In
countries like India, 47% would prefer a car
against 22% in China. It is very reassuring
to see that overall public transport is still a
favourite, in second place: between 17 and
19% of the respondents would choose it.
Figure 13: Mode of Transport: per age group, all countries
In certain countries (China, India, The Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom) major capitals have
made a lot of efforts to promote cycling as a safe mode of transport. Across our sample of respondents,
14% prefer cycling to work. The younger generations privilege using their car as a mode of transport,
against the older generation walking to work. The UK is on the lead table as a nation of walkers,
while the US and India lead the unenvironmentally friendly league for using cars as the main mode of
transport for 18-25 years old. China on the other hand, privileges public transport.
Figure 14: Mode of Transport: per country, 18-25 years old
Copyright © 2010, Johnson Controls. Confidential. All Rights Reserved.
Intellectual Property Johnson Controls, Haworth and iDEA.
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