Commuting

How long does it take people to get to work – by car, by train, by bus? Does anybody actually walk to work these days? On a personal basis, a train commute of 80 minutes is not overly daunting – with the addition of a 10 minute drive at the beginning and a 20 minutes walk at the end! In fact, the time spent on the train is great for day dreaming, catching up on the latest news, light sleeping – and more importantly, working. Those annoying admin tasks which there is never time to do in the office, emails, research and the production of ideas. In fact the last two are what probably make commuting most enjoyable.

When else is it possible to devote lengthy periods of time to thought and new ideas? With constant emails, ringing telephones, chattering colleagues and the multitude of additional immediate tasks which we must complete every day.

Back to the question. By car, our research shows that an hour is about the maximum people are willing to undertake. By bus, only half an hour. By foot, twenty minutes. By train – up to 2 hours is “acceptable.” And of the four, the train is least stressful and the only one where serious work is actually possible. Of course there are those days when things don’t work out – trains are late, crowded or cancelled, but thankfully those days are exceptions.

Working in recruitment we no longer see the offer of ‘relocation packages’ – which was a standard part of any salary negotiation 5 years ago. They don’t exist. If you want the job you will either commute of you will move house at your own expense – as a show of commitment to the job!

An interesting instance at the moment. An insurance company client – seeking a senior manager – has rejected a candidate on the basis that they live 2 hours away. The candidate is willing and able to travel for that length of time – and indeed to pay for the commute himself. He sees the opportunity of working on the train as “additional research and development time”. Sadly, he hasn’t got the job despite a perfect work and educational history.

Is my client being unreasonable?

Are employees being bullied into working when they could be relaxing while commuting by train?

What is the optimum length of time for commuting?

How has the tide turned in favour of the employer with regard to relocation packages?