Bad traffic 'making Sydney workers sick' SYDNEY'S traffic snarls are costing business and making workers tired, late and sick, respondents to a survey say. The latest NRMA BusinessWise Congestion survey has found small businesses believe traffic congestion is hurting productivity, with one in three saying it's responsible for staff turning up late to work. Thirty-seven per cent of small firms said bad traffic was making employees less productive, while 37 per cent thought it contributed to worker fatigue. Thirty-two per cent of businesses said traffic snarls caused staff to arrive late at work, with one in ten businesses blaming it for extra sick days. The survey found firms believed heavy traffic added to fuel costs and increased their running costs. NRMA Motoring and Services chief executive, Tony Stuart, said bad traffic had small businesses at breaking point. "Traffic congestion is no longer just a peak hour problem, it's an everyday problem and it's getting progressively worse across Sydney," Mr Stuart said in a statement. He said state and federal governments needed to work together to tackle the city's traffic woes. We need federal and state governments to work together to manage Sydney's congestion. It's affecting productivity, it's affecting health and it's putting even more pressure on the bottom line of small businesses," he said.