Costly freeze

The Forum of Private Business is warning that the cost of a single day of employee absenteeism because of the freezing winter conditions could be at least £230m.

Ouch - that has to hurt. But people are not staying away from work on purpose - difficult as it may be to believe after the long Christmas holiday. Many genuinely cannot get to work.

I struggled to the station this morning in a howling snow blizzard - it was snowing that hard it was going up my nose (nice image). On the platform I spoke to a fellow commuter who hadn't been able to get her car out of her drive yesterday due to the sheet ice, so she had just given up and stayed at home.

I am leaving the office early today because I am getting regular updates from home about the snow - and its is apparently starting to come in thick and fast now - the last thing I want is to be stuck in London this evening.

The fact is, our transport system is not geared up for prolonged bouts of this freezing weather, and as a result people are not able to get into work - even if they wanted to.

If the forecast is right for tomorrow - my journey should be very interesting. Wellies and shovel at the ready I think.