Cost to UK businesses of adverse weather conditions: £450 million

According to a YouGov poll reported by People Management journal, up to 124 million working hours were lost in a single week due to the adverse weather conditions.

The snow which covered most of the UK in the first full working week following the Christmas break affected three-quarters of all employees.

The figures quoted in the survey include

45 per cent of British workers faced travel disruptions
71 per cent claimed that the lack of grit on major roads was the major hindrance
78 per cent of respondents from the south-east claimed that they were disrupted by the weather
54 per cent of respondents from the West Midlands (where there was more snow than in the south-east) suffered disruption to their working
50 per cent of the 2,000 people surveyed felt pressurised to get into work
10 per cent had to postpone or cancel business meetings
8 per cent of workers were forced to stay at home due to school closures
11 per cent of staff who were unable to travel to their workplace were able to work remotely from home
12 per cent of British workers were unable to work at all

The total cost of the adverse weather so far in 2010 could be as high as £450 million, according to estimates from the Forum of Private Businesses.