The most challenging aspect of returning to the office is the commute. This isn’t surprising because commutes of only 30 minutes are linked to higher stress and anger, while 45 minutes or more is linked to poorer overall well-being, daily mood, and health.
this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2024
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Work Reform
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When the only people who commuted were those that were required to be physically present for their work or those that wanted to be in the office traffic was massively reduced and commute times shortened if the reduction meant being able to go the speed limit.
Yeah, but McDonald's and Shell weren't making enough so they made the bosses tell us to work from the office.
That's really what this is all about. My company is not even pretending that RTO has anything to do with productivity or culture. They're not even providing any reasoning. Hell, all my bosses are in different time zones and I have no peers in the office.
It's because the big money has invested in expensive city real estate and if we all buy a house in Montana then it kills their milking model. I mean business model
They’re not even providing any reasoning. Hell, all my bosses are in different time zones and I have no peers in the office.
Same situation here. They made some vague comment about "making connections" in the office but half the people on my team are remote, including managers. It's all bullshit.
When you have the stress of having to be somewhere at a specific time and place, any delay is a pain. Train/bus/boat/traffic whatever running late or with problems? It's your fault supposedly for not 'planning better' in advance.
The commute also costs us.
So yeah. Spending 30 minutes one way. Hour daily, is an expense and time sink. It eats into your non-paid work time.
Commuting stinks.
I have a 2 hour commute lol fuck me
RIP
I'm real lucky that I can bike 30 minutes or transit 45 minutes to work each way. Having to spend that same amount of time in a car every day would suck the life out of me and the enioyment of my job.
My comrad in crisis, I feel that 30 min is an extremely reasonable commute time. I'm happy you have alternatives, and are not at 1+ hours each way.
Thanks! The last job I held in Toronto was closer to that. Not fun.
Our results indicate that if the return-to-office transition is not handled with a high level of humanity, sensitivity, and empathy, workplace culture suffers, and the workforce’s sense of belonging plummets.
Right, because the "transition" is a mandate from god and there's simply no other way to work, like remotely, from home, oh wait…
Oh work. That other "family".
"First, focus on maximizing the benefits..."
No. First, get your CV up to date and start jobhunting for a guaranteed fully remote position. That's what the smarter employers are offering. You don't want to be stuck working for those stone-age dinosaurs who insist on in-office work.
Say your car is totaled and you don't make enough to buy another car.
A traditional job will tell you to figure it out or find a new job.
That's when you steal one of the exec cars and let them know you figured it out.
"See? I'm a problem solver!"
It's past time for commute time to be paid for by our employers. If they want to save money on paying for people's commutes, they should pay us enough to live closer to our workplaces, or allow us to work from home.
Literally this. My employer has been vocally against wfh for all roles except IT, and recently my manager told me they are relocating the office an hour away from my house and asked me if I was going to "grow with them." I asked them "what kind of pay increase is on the table?" And they huffed and said "none." And they got mad at me for asking the question. I'm not subsidizing the cost of your relocation, I'm not taking on 2 hours a day of unpaid commute time not even including the time it takes to get dressed/ready and out the door versus 20-30 minutes per day at present. If I can do it at home, let me, if I need to commute fucking PAY me for the time wasted for this bs. 😤
Just an FYI it would take a lot of money and I mean A LOT of money to offset the mental and emotional anguish caused by a 1 hour commute. Guaranteed way more than any company would be willing to pay.