Commuter chaos | Why train strikes shouldn't derail the first work week of 2023

It’s the first week of the new year and masses of employees will be returning to work after a well-earned break, one which has hopefully renewed their vigour, given them the vim to kickstart the year and the confidence to take on more challenges that lie ahead.

However, pay disputes within the rail industry, which were ongoing throughout 2022, have continued into the new year. Strikes have been held by the RMT union across the UK’s railways this week (including several London Underground services), leading to drastically reduced timetables and leading many would-be commuters to work from home during the first working week of 2022.

Of course, this has huge ramifications for fully office-based and hybrid workers, who may find that their journey to and from the office is severely impacted.

But the rail strikes, and the inconvenience they may cause, are a poignant reminder that whilst the hybrid working model undoubtedly has its merits (and is the preferred working structure of over 84% of workers, according to the ONS), fundamental issues with the way we work in the post-Covid world still very much exist. And, the onus is still on HR to navigate these issues.