Jessica O'ConnorTradespeople in the East Midlands enjoy better mental wellbeing and work-life balance than their counterparts across other UK regions, according to research from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
The survey of 1,000 UK van drivers revealed significant regional disparities in working conditions and stress levels.
Work-related stress appears less prevalent among East Midlands tradespeople, with respondents there reporting feeling overwhelmed by their work-life balance only ‘monthly’ rather than ‘weekly’ – the more common response in most other regions of the UK.
This improved mental wellbeing translated into workforce productivity, with East Midlands tradespeople turning down fewer jobs (2.84 days’ worth) due to mental health issues over the past 12 months, compared to the UK average of 3.58 days.
By contrast, London-based tradespeople face some of the most challenging working conditions, with longer working hours (9.54 hours daily versus the 9.25-hour national average) and substantially longer commutes (103.39 miles daily compared to the East Midlands’ 67.95 miles).
Tradespeople in Wales reported the highest number of jobs turned down due to mental health issues (5.75 days), followed by the West Midlands (4.06 days) and London (4.05 days).
Craig Cavanagh, national fleet manager and mental health first aider at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “We understand the challenges that many of the UK’s tradespeople are experiencing, but the regional differences highlighted in this index, have really been eye-opening.
“Running a business is never easy, and that’s why van drivers up and down the country are asking for more support from us to keep them on the road.
“The services we provide for our customers – including our comprehensive roadside assistance, fixed-cost maintenance, tailored servicing plans and more – are all designed to deliver exactly that.”
