In summer 2021, around 80 Apple employees signed an open letter protesting being required to return to the office. One of their arguments was that office work was inconvenient and benefited those who live close by, as well as those who are young and physically mobile. Discontent about returning to the daily commute was not limited to Apple employees. In one US study, on behalf of Bloomberg News, nearly 40 per cent of respondents said they would consider quitting their jobs if the flexibility of remote work was no longer possible.
Remote working saves employees an average of 70 minutes a day, according to a 2022 study by the University of Chicago, Stanford University and others. Many people have understandably learned to love working from home (WFH). It's convenient and saves employees money: all those costs for transport, office outfits, coffees, lunches and after-work drinks.
Making the most of one's time
As many workers have now returned to the office, they are once again sending emails from phones on crowded trains and buses. Microsoft customer success manager Natasha Müller lives two hours away from her office in Munich. She uses her long train journey to focus on work. "I often don't have WiFi on the journey, but it means I can work through emails without being disturbed, and they are sent in a flurry when I reach the office."
Even before the pandemic, the Swiss trade union Transfair saw the potential to use commuting time productively. If approved by managers, employee commutes can count as working time. Transfair employee Albane Bochatay told the BBC that she felt it created a "good balance", allowing her to finish off work on the train home, so that she has her evenings to herself. However, some say that's an unhealthy approach. In a 2021 New Yorker article, author and computer scientist Cal Newport described society's growing rejection of "productivity culture" and how people are pushing back against the constant optimization of their time.
Out of office, out of reach
Dr Carys Chan, a researcher who studies the work-life intersection and work-related stress at Griffith University, in Australia, told Business Spotlight that companies need to address the topic of flexible work proactively — including the question of commuting. Chan agrees that having to be productive all the time can be insidiously damaging: "If a person is already very busy and has very little ‘me time', research shows that it'll be good to have commuting as a buffer before the next engagement (be it at work or at home)."
She says there's a need to separate work and personal lives: "The blurring of boundaries occurred before the pandemic, but it became more visible and severe during the pandemic. Work can easily spill over to our family time, and research is consistent in showing that this increases stress levels."
Chan also thinks employers must set boundaries, encouraging them to "remind their employees not to perform office-related work during commuting hours". Although commuting can take several hours out of the day, it also provides an opportunity to decompress. Chan suggests a healthier way to spend the commute would be to "do something that you really enjoy, like listening to music or podcasts, because that's an instant mood booster, or engage in mindless or mindful activities to decrease stress".