The Hidden Cost of Getting to Work

Are We Really Earning What We Think We Are When Necessary Travel Costs to do the Job aren't factored into our Pay?

For millions of workers across England, the working day begins long before they arrive at their workplace. Whether travelling by car, train, bus, underground, tram or bicycle, getting to work carries a financial cost that rarely features in discussions about wages and the cost of living.

But perhaps the greatest hidden expense is something we seldom calculate and that is our time.

What Does Your Hourly Wage Really Mean?

Consider someone earning £15 an hour, working 37.5 hours a week. Their gross annual salary is £29,250.
Now imagine they spend one hour travelling to work and another returning home. Over 260 working days, that represents 520 hours annually, equivalent to almost 14 additional working weeks.

Their effective hourly return, when commuting hours are included, falls from £15 to approximately £11.84 before travel expenses. If commuting costs £10 daily, another £2,600 disappears annually, reducing that effective return to approximately £10.78 an hour.

Although these are just illustrative calculations, based on a full 260-day commuting year without deductions for holidays or other absences. They do not change an employee's legal hourly pay, but demonstrate how much working can really cost.

The Price of Transport

Motorists face fuel, insurance, servicing, tyres, depreciation and workplace parking. Public transport passengers face rail fares, bus tickets, connections and the uncertainty of delayed or cancelled services.

The British Government's freeze on regulated rail fares during 2026 offers some relief, while England's £3 bus fare cap is scheduled to fall to £2 in January 2027.

Nevertheless, two £3 bus journeys each working day would cost £1,560 annually over 260 days.
In major cities, underground and tram networks provide alternatives, but affordability, overcrowding and journey times remain important considerations.

Paying to Park at Your Own Workplace

For many workers, particularly NHS staff, the expense does not end when they arrive at work. They must also pay to park.
Government figures reveal that NHS employees in England paid £70.5 million in hospital parking charges during 2023/24.
Published NHS trust charges demonstrate the differences:

Source: Published NHS trust parking information and Freedom of Information responses, 2026. Charges vary by permit, working pattern and eligibility. Some employees qualify for free parking.

These costs come on top of fuel, vehicle maintenance and commuting time. For nurses, healthcare assistants and other essential workers undertaking early, late or weekend shifts, driving may be a necessity rather than a choice.

Should employees really have to pay hundreds of pounds annually simply to park at the workplace where they are needed?

When Transport Fails, Workers Pay

What happens when a bus fails to arrive or a train is cancelled?

Workers may lose wages, arrive late, face disciplinary concerns or pay for alternative transport. Rail passengers can claim compensation through Delay Repay, subject to operator rules, but ticket compensation does not necessarily recover lost earnings or personal time.

Car sharing, cycling and walking can reduce expenses, but these options are not practical for everyone. Distance, disability, shift patterns, personal safety and inadequate cycling infrastructure can make alternatives unrealistic.
Even the Government's Cycle to Work Scheme has limitations. HMRC research found that journey distance and safety concerns were significant barriers among eligible people who did not use the scheme.

Recognising the Real Cost of Employment

Stephen Morris, General Secretary of the Workers of England Union, commented:

“Getting to work is not free, either financially or in the time workers sacrifice. It cannot be right that essential workers, including NHS staff, are expected to pay hundreds of pounds each year simply to park at their own workplace.

“We must recognise these hidden costs when discussing wages and living standards. The Workers of England Union is committed to highlighting the real financial pressures facing our members, including the money they must spend simply to earn a living.”

The Workers of England Union believes commuting costs deserve greater recognition in discussions about fair pay, workplace parking, flexible working and transport investment.

A wage should not be judged solely by what appears on a payslip, but also by what workers must sacrifice to earn it.

If we include the time and money it takes to get to work, how much are we actually earning per hour?

References: (Department of Health and Social Care (13 February 2025). Written Parliamentary Answer, Question 30942. NHS staff parking income of £70,510,110 during 2023/24; Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2026). Staff Car Parking. Charges effective 1 April 2026; Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust (27 March 2026). Freedom of Information Response FOI_9315: Staff Parking; University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (1 April 2026). Freedom of Information Response FOI/1385: Staff Parking; University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (updated 8 June 2026). Parking Passes and Permits; Department for Transport (2025). Rail Fares Freeze: Passenger Savings Estimate; Department for Transport (updated 19 August 2026). £3 National Bus Fare Cap; HM Revenue & Customs (2025). Evaluation of the Cycle to Work Scheme; National Rail (2026). Compensation and Refunds for Train Tickets)

Key Takeaways

• Erosion of Effective Wages: A 2-hour daily commute over 260 working days adds 520 uncompensated hours (~14 work weeks), slashing a £15/hour salary to an effective £10.78 after typical expenses.
• Escalating Public Transit Costs: Daily bus commutes under a £3 cap cost £1,560 per year before the scheduled drop to £2 in January 2027, alongside regular rail fare burdens.
• Workplace Parking Penalties: English NHS employees paid £70.5 million to park at hospital sites in 2023/24, with some trust permits costing staff upwards of £800 annually.
• Need for Commuting Cost Recognition: WEU demands that discussions on living standards and fair pay account for mandatory travel expenses, transit delays, and workplace parking fees.