英公司為避奧運擁堵 讓員工留宿“太空艙”

With roads and tube lines set to be more congested than ever this summer a few people may be tempted to use it an excuse for a day off.

But for employees at data services provider Interxion a chaotic commute during the Olympics will hold no weight.

That's because, in a bid to keep things ticking over this summer, bosses at the London company are asking staff to sleep at work - in space pods.

Far from sleeping on the job engineers at the Brick Lane based firm in east London will be asked to stay behind and sleep in the claustrophobic capsules to avoid the rush hour.

And while other companies are set to offer staff the luxury of working from home during the Games the firm behind the capsules hope to get more workplaces on board.

Podtime, the firm behind the unusual cabins, are billing them as the perfect solution to the Olympics' congested commute.

On their official website they state 'London businesses will be severely affected by the transport problems caused by the Olympics.

'Cost effective and versatile pods provide the best solution to this by allowing your staff to stay on site as necessary, in comfort and privacy.'

Coming in a range of colours, the capsules made of polycarbonate, sell at anything from ￡1,375.

The stock models are fitted with either foam mattresses or a standard single mattress as well as a storage shelf, mirror and power points.

These types of capsules have been around for years, in hotels, but Interxion is thought to be among the first to have them stalled at the workplace.

An independent report carried out by Oxford Economics last year estimated that around 450,000 visitors will stay in the capital while 5.5 million people will visit for at least a day during the Games.

This will inevitably mean more cars on the road and greater congestion on the Underground.

(Read by Emily Cheng. Emily Cheng is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)