Cambridge Congestion Charge... Dec 2008

Cambridge Congestion Charge... Dec 2008

Office workers could face pre-7.30 am starts as a result of the proposed congestion charge. Will this mean a drop in the numbers of qualified office staff for Cambridge?

Recent news coverage of the proposed Cambridge congestion charge has created much debate amongst office workers who travel into Cambridge daily from outlying vil ages. Pure Resourcing Solutions, East Anglia's leading independent recruitment agency for office professionals, believes employers need to plan ahead and be proactive to avoid a potential employment blackhole.

According to Caroline Batchelor, Associate Director for Pure Resourcing Solution's Office Professionals division, office workers in Cambridge may face hard decisions about whether they continue to commute to Cambridge or go elsewhere.

"Over 73% of our temporary workers travel in to Cambridge and 60% of them drive and park at work. Many office professionals living in the outlying vil ages around Cambridge where housing is more affordable have to drive to work because there's little or no public transport. For someone on £15,000 - £22,000 a year, £1000 in congestion charges just to get to work could be the make or break point when deciding to work in Cambridge or not. Our advice to employers is to start thinking of the likely impact on their workforce, temporary and permanent, as soon as possible."

Pure Resourcing Solutions' Office Professionals division in Cambridge, which is celebrating its first birthday this month, is looking at the possible impact of the congestion charge on job seekers so it can provide its recruitment clients with the most up to date information and data.

Employers who promote car sharing schemes are less likely to be affected while some organisations are already considering adjusting employee contracts to introduce flexible working hours so staff can be spared the charges. Pure Resourcing Solutions' research indicates that this kind of flexibility is vital for Cambridge to retain its essential office workers.

Cambridgeshire County Council is eager to hear more from both employers and employees regarding the congestion charge issue and is planning on researching the proposal thoroughly before making any decisions. For the Office Professionals division at Pure Resourcing Solutions in Cambridge, they plan on keeping abreast of the debate as news unfolds so they can propose potential solutions for both candidates and clients alike.

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