A new survey by global employment expert Remote asked over 1,000 UK working women how they feel about commuting in the dark: Results show that enhanced flexible work options could help women travel to and from the office more confidently.
Feeling confident and comfortable when walking outside at night is something that many people accept without a second thought. But for a large percentage of UK working women, the experience of walking at night comes with feelings of unease and vulnerability, not to mention legitimate risks. While everyone should be able to comfortably walk outside at any time of day, regardless of their gender, the ability to do so without consideration for one’s safety is a privilege. In the age of flexible work, it is time for employers to reconsider company schedules and policies to empower their employees to feel safer when commuting between home and work.
The new survey by HR and employment experts Remote explores whether companies can foster a protective community that empowers women and supports a safer commute through flexible work policies.
This comes as the sun sets from 4 pm in the UK during the winter months, meaning people tied to a rigid 9-6 schedule are required to commute home in the dark whether they feel safe or not.
The story at a glance
- 1 in 3 working women feel unsafe commuting in the dark.
- 85% of UK working women would change their commuting pattern to travel during daylight hours in order to improve their safety.
- 88% of working women in the UK believe companies should offer enhanced flexible work options, allowing them to commute during daylight hours in winter months.
47% of UK women feel “uneasy” commuting in the dark
Respondents to the survey indicated a prominent emotional response of unease when asked “How does commuting in the dark make you feel?”. 47% of UK working women surveyed said that they felt “uneasy” when commuting in the dark.
Other responses include revealing descriptors such as “anxious” (44%) and “vulnerable” (40%). Over a quarter of respondents noted that they feel unsafe (32%) or worried (27.78%) about commuting in the dark.
This echoes research from the ONS in June 2021 which detailed that one in two women felt unsafe walking alone after dark in a quiet street near their home (compared to one in seven men).
Remote’s survey highlights that the youngest and eldest generations perhaps feel most at risk. 29% of respondents aged between 16-24 said they feel “frightened” – more than any other age group – and those aged 55+ reported feeling “uneasy” (52%), “anxious” (40%), and “vulnerable” (40%).
Gen Z is the generation most concerned about female commuting safety as 92% of working women aged 16-24 said that they would change their commuting pattern to travel to work during daylight hours. Could this be because younger women feel more vulnerable?
This is perhaps a painful reality and crucial problem facing the UK as the ONS details that over half of women aged 16-34 years experienced at least one form of harassment in the previous 12 months; with 44% of women aged 16-34 years having experienced catcalls, whistles or unwanted sexual comments or jokes.
42% of women in Greater London feel “unsafe” commuting in the dark
Working women based in Greater London (42%) and the North East (42%) feel most “unsafe” commuting in the dark. With highly publicised, London-centred cases such as the murders of Sarah Everard in 2021 and Zara Aleena in 2022, this should come as no surprise.
Across the UK the apprehension of commuting in the dark is similar. Nottingham (57%) is the city where respondents felt most “uneasy” – this is closely followed by Bristol (57%), Southhampton (57%) and Plymouth (56%).
So, what practical steps can be taken by companies looking to support their colleagues to reduce this unease? The large majority of female workers across Wales (91%), Northern Ireland (90%), England (89%) and Scotland (79%) agree that “companies should offer enhanced flexible work options to women in the winter months to allow them to commute during daylight hours.”
Commenting on the study, VP of People at Remote Nadia Vatalidis:
“It’s deeply saddening to see that so many women in our survey have a shared experience of feeling uneasy or frightened doing something as ordinary as walking or travelling home from work. To change this, 88% of respondents feel their business should support them through flexible work arrangements to enable them to travel when they feel most comfortable – so we’re calling for more businesses to do so.
“With 85% of the women surveyed saying they would change their routine to commute in daylight hours, it’s time for employers to assess their work policies and culture to reflect this overwhelming demand and empower all employees. Flexible working can help place all employees on an equal playing field, promoting happiness, comfort, and most importantly personal safety.
Modern working used for good: 85% would use flexible working to commute in daylight hours
If given the option, 85% of UK working women would choose to change their commuting pattern to prioritise their safety by avoiding the dark and travelling during daylight hours.
Almost all respondents (88%) indicated that companies should offer enhanced flexible work options, which would be used in the darker winter months to allow a safer commute and the ability to travel when they feel most comfortable.
Of the respondents who believe companies should be offering enhanced flexible work options for safer commuting, just under half (45%) believe their employer would support them in this initiative.
Unfortunately, over half (55%) of respondents were “unsure” or certain that their employer would not support them with flexible work options to improve commute safety.
Sector split: Sales, media & marketing workers feel most “worried”
The survey also split the data by the industries each respondent works in. 56% of respondents who work in the sales, media & marketing sectors feel “worried” and “uneasy” about commuting in the dark. Professionals from the legal sector felt similar, with 56% of respondents also describing commuting in the dark as “uneasy”.
52% of the respondents from retail, catering and leisure sectors described their feelings about commuting in the dark as “anxious”. 43% of those who work in travel and transport said that they felt both “anxious” and vulnerable”.
But will employers in these industries listen to their concerns?
When asked if a company should offer enhanced flexible work options to allow women to commute during daylight hours, 100% of respondents from the legal sector said yes. This sentiment is replicated across HR and sales, media & marketing industries.
The research shows that uptake of flexible working options would be strong as respondents who work in HR (100%), sales, media & marketing (96%), travel & transport (93%) and legal (93%) would change their commuting patterns to travel during daylight hours if their employer gave them the opportunity.
In a time when remote and flexible working is readily available to so many businesses, should we be expecting companies to incorporate flexible work options for those who don’t want to commute in the dark and potentially risk their safety?
Commenting on how flexible work policies could be used to support women with a safer commute, VP of People at Remote Nadia Vatalidis:
“Remote are proud to raise awareness about commuting safety and what businesses can do to combat any risk to their employees with this UK research. We feel that commuting safety risk is an issue that, unfortunately, disproportionately affects women, leaving many feeling frightened, wary and more alert when leaving work in the dark.
“We believe that the adoption of remote work policies such as asynchronous work and flexible hour logging can bring about meaningful positive change in regard to supporting employee safety. Asynchronous work can be implemented across most sectors to enable all employees to travel when they feel most comfortable and empower them to work when and where they work best. “We acknowledge not all industries can adopt flexible working in the same way, notably the travel and tourism sectors, but recent cases – including a ruling on Glasgow hospitality businesses to provide late-night workers free transport home – shows employers have a responsibility toward the safety of their employees, and that this can be achieved across all industries in a number of ways – including adopting flexible working to empower your workforce to regain their commuting confidence.”