#WorkFromHome #CommuteToWork #Productivity #FlexibleWork
Are you tired of spending hours stuck in traffic or crammed into public transportation on your way to work? Many workers feel that their daily commute is a major source of stress and frustration, and it’s no wonder why. The time spent commuting can add hours onto your workday, leaving you feeling drained before you even step foot in the office.
If you’re one of the many people who believe that the commute to work should be included in the work hours, you’re not alone. The rise of remote work and flexible scheduling has sparked a conversation about whether or not the time spent traveling to and from the office should be considered part of the workday. Let’s take a closer look at this issue and why it matters.
##The Impact of Commuting on Work-Life Balance
Commuting can have a significant impact on your overall well-being and work-life balance. Here are some of the ways that the daily commute can affect you:
1. **Stress and Anxiety:** Commuting in heavy traffic or crowded public transportation can be incredibly stressful. This stress can carry over into your workday, affecting your mood, productivity, and overall job satisfaction.
2. **Time Drain:** The average American spends nearly 30 minutes each way commuting to and from work. That’s an hour of your day that could be better spent on more productive or enjoyable activities.
3. **Physical Health:** Long commutes are also associated with negative health outcomes, including increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular issues.
##The Case for Including Commuting in Work Hours
Several arguments support the idea of including the commute as part of the work hours, especially in situations where working from home is not possible. Here’s why it makes sense:
1. **Fairness:** If you are required to commute to a physical office, it’s only fair that this time should be considered part of your workday. After all, you are traveling to perform your job duties.
2. **Productivity:** By eliminating or reducing the daily commute, you can increase your overall productivity. Remote workers often report feeling more focused and energized when they don’t have to deal with the stress of commuting.
3. **Employee Well-being:** Including the commute as part of the workday acknowledges the toll that traveling to work can take on your mental and physical health. It demonstrates that your employer values your well-being and recognizes the challenges of commuting.
##The Legal Landscape
The laws and regulations surrounding work hours and commuting vary depending on your location and industry. However, there are some legal considerations to keep in mind:
1. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the United States does not specifically address commuting time. However, if your commute involves additional work-related activities, such as stopping at a client’s office, this time may be considered compensable.
2. In some countries, such as Germany, commuting time is already included as part of the work hours for employees. This acknowledges the impact of commuting on the work-life balance and overall well-being of workers.
##Potential Solutions
While the idea of including the commute in work hours is gaining traction, there are still some practical considerations to address. Here are a few potential solutions that could help mitigate the impact of commuting on workers:
1. **Flexible Scheduling:** Employers could offer flexible scheduling options that allow employees to adjust their work hours to avoid peak commuting times. This can reduce the overall time spent traveling to and from work.
2. **Remote Work Policies:** Where possible, employers could implement remote work policies that allow employees to work from home on a regular or occasional basis. This eliminates the need for a daily commute and can lead to increased job satisfaction and productivity.
3. **Commute Time Compensation:** Some companies are exploring the idea of compensating employees for their commute time, either through additional pay or by offering alternative benefits such as extra time off.
In summary, the issue of including the commute in work hours is a complex and multifaceted one. It’s clear that commuting can have a significant impact on workers’ well-being, productivity, and overall job satisfaction. As the conversation around remote work and flexible scheduling continues to evolve, it’s important for employers and policymakers to consider the potential benefits of including commuting time in work hours, especially in situations where working from home is not feasible. By recognizing the toll that commuting can take on employees and exploring innovative solutions, we can create a more equitable and sustainable work environment for all.
Oooof, yes please. Or pay half pay for commute time, something that makes or worth my time.
I’m out the door at 7.10am and home at 6.25pm. 11+ hrs for an 8 hour shift is bonkers.
I can’t afford to live closer to the city, so I drive to the train station (10 mins), get a train (62 mins) and walk to the office (7 mins or 11 mins if I detour for a coffee).
Not counting petrol, it costs $13.50ish to get the train (total round trip). Buy lunch / snacks and I’m out another $20-$25.
If I’m at home, I spend a few dollars out of my groceries (bread rolls, sandwiches), and save myself over 3 hours. Get out of here with the ‘culture is important’. My time is important.
If this was true, companies would be able to dictate how far away you lived. There’s no scenario where they’d let you choose to live 2 hours away then pay you money for your choice.
at the least the company should cover commuting costs
Careful what you wish for. During the Industrial Revolution and up until the early part of the 20th Century Worker Dormitories were not uncommon. It would come down to “Live where we say or pay your own costs”.
Damn people are so frigging entitled today. Do you want them to pay for your time getting dressed appropriately for the office as well? Or perhaps for the time it takes you to take a shower?
Why the heck should you be allowed to dictate where you work,when nobody who isn’t an office drone has that option???
I want to be a delivery driver but only from home. Lmao
I sadly disagree, because this discriminates people living closer to work and also gives the employer the ability to chose workers location of living.
What you should do is include the hours and cost of commuting into your needed compensation. No employer will do that for you, you need to do this yourself.
When I worked in the office due to its location having an exit onto the motorway to the big city nearby traffic would build up frequently. Then other people in my town wanting to leave would block the only town road out and we’d be stuck. Wasn’t just my office, but a whole technology park so when traffic stalled thousands were stuck. It was also bad that my office was at the end furthest from the exits so when traffic did move we’d still be last out.
What did this mean? If I finished work at 4:30pm I could be stuck at my office in the carpark until 9pm at its worst. So glad I’m remote now. I genuinely used to sit in the picnic area at work put music on and full asleep until we could move again.
I work in residential construction, and I pay all my trade partners for commute; it’s a pretty regular practice. Even the company I work for pays my commute. For an hour drive, it’s typically 150. Two hours is 300. If it’s a job far out and requires multiple days, then it’s commute and lodging.
And pay us mileage for our commute to cover car costs!
I remember reading a few years back that some companies were considering cutting the pay of workers who worked from home because they weren’t commuting, and everyone just saying “when did you ever pay us for commuting”.
I’d be happy if I was simply allowed WFH instead of my 90 minutes spent in the car each day. Unfortunately, while the big boss does it, nobody else is allowed to, despite the fact my job could easily be done at home.
Fuck no. Have to pay assholes who live 1-2 hours away extra?? Or they get to work less because they do not value there time?? Insane.
I would take a job 3 1/2 hours away from where I work
Simple: switch to salary and lose your overtime
I actually feel like I work longer hours at home. I would never stay at work until 8pm, but now I regularly work late (wfh is still way better, just adding my useless comment haha)
A policy like this would lead to companies hiring staff that live closer because there is less commuting to pay for.
No, employers wouldn’t hire people from outside the city and would block off job opportunities for people in low income areas. I see such garbage takes on this sub often.
I could see an argument for a small per diem, but if you force employers to completely cover transportation costs, they’re just going to start preferentially hiring people who live closer. Hope you live close to a decent job otherwise you’d never get one.
I live 10 minutes from my office. But since this policy has been put in place, strangely all of a sudden I hit 3 hours of traffic on my way to and from work
this could incentivize so many things from company paid transit to liveable wages, since many corporate outlets in cities would never, ever be able to hire non commuters bc they don’t pay enough for anyone to live there
At least, it should be included for any job which could demonstrably be done remotely. The *actual* job in the contract, not some unrelated bullshit management makes up to try and claim it needs physical presence. If someone else in the world is managing to do it remotely, it’s a remote job. If it’s just somehow magically ‘better’ if it’s done in person, then that’s a benefit to the employer and they can pay for the additional associated costs that come with the better result. Just like any other cost per unit to produce a higher-quality product.
These costs should also include *any* costs of commuting, as it’s “employer-mandated travel” as an apparently necessary part of production. Gas, tolls, parking fees, vehicle depreciation, consumables, any increases in vehicle or health insurance due to the commuting (especially on roads, which are known to be associated with traffic accidents) and being in a workplace with a bunch of flu-ridden colleagues forty hours a week, costs of any weather-based clothing appropriate for the commute, costs of any workplace-dress-code items which would not be required if doing the job (the actual tasks, not some “must be on camera for no reason” bullshit) from home, you name it…
But hey, if the employer wants to cover *all those costs in full*, while still paying for a workplace which is 10x the size it actually needs to be, plus daily consumables like electricity, internet, cleaning… plus any costs of compliance involved in having that workplace exist at all, plus still falling behind on attracting top-quality employees compared to competitors offering full remote work from the comparatively luxurious and customized comfort of each employee’s own home…
Well.
It’d be a start.
Here’s one reason it won’t happen – cause an accident during your commute and you’re on “company time.” Liabilities galore.
I don’t entirely agree with this, but it really highlights that for so long all of the responsibility for making things work has fallen on employees. Can’t afford rent near work? Then live farther and commute. Rent’s going up? We’re not going to raise wages, just eat the cost. Employers for the longest time had the luxury of just ignoring the housing issue because they thought they didn’t have a dog in the fight. Now it’s causing all kinds of problems and disagreements with employees because we’ve been pushed as far as we can and we need it to stop. This is what happens when you try to offload problems onto other people for too long.