Super commutes—defined as a commute that takes 90 minutes or longer one-way, are not a new phenomenon and have been a staple of the C-suite and for executives for years. What is new, is how the pandemic has increased the prevalence of this phenomenon. Workers were forced to work remotely with many using the opportunity to move further away from their offices. As the great return gets underway, employees across all levels may be facing their longest commutes yet.
As companies look set to retain hybrid or remote ways of working combined with few on-site visits, it is expected that mega commutes may become the norm for some people as they travel less frequently to the office. In the US, research from job platform Upwork revealed that 5 million Americans moved to a new location as a result of remote work, and it is expected that up to 19 million more will move in the near future. Before COVID arrived on the scene, 80 per cent of workers lived within an hour and a half commute of their workplace. That percentage has since fallen with one in four workers now living over four hours away from their workplace.
Many workers chose to move in part thanks to the greater freedom that came with remote working, but also because of the associated lifestyle benefits. The advantages of remote working have been well documented with a reduced cost of living, higher productivity, less stress over the office environment and greater work-life flexibility.
The challenge that business leaders are faced with is how to handle getting employees back to the office, especially those that have moved away. If they mandate a full-time return, they risk losing up to a third of their talent as research has shown. Another challenge is the associated costs that come with super commutes, with the cost of living increasing, rising gas prices and household rent, workers face significant financial implications should they be required on-site even once or twice a week.
To diffuse tension, HR leaders should seek viable and workable solutions and look for ways to accommodate employee requests for fully remote work wherever possible as these types of jobs are not going away any time soon.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
