It has been estimated that the planned rail strike will result in millions of people staying at home on April 6th, the first working day after Easter, costing the UK economy £600 million.

Estimated figures show that only 10 per cent of the 30 million UK workforce is likely to get to work on that day. Experts have said that commuters may also be tempted to stay at home following the four day Easter break, rather than attempt to struggle into work.

The four days of strike action on the part of the RMT will be the first industrial action on the UK railway network in 16 years.

Stephen Alambritis, speaking on behalf of the Federation of Small Businesses, commented: “We estimate that there will be a huge cost to the economy both in terms of absence and in terms of the number of meetings cancelled.” He explained that any employee taking an unjustified holiday could be found guilty of gross misconduct but he added that many employers could try to ask staff to work from home.

Home working is growing in popularity due to its many benefits, including cost savings for the employer and flexibility and reduced travelling time for the employee. In the light of the upcoming strike, perhaps employers will look into this option even more carefully in the future.