Commute Makes Some Workers “Sick”

The survey commissioned by The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated found 4% of adults who commute to work said they have called in sick to work because they couldn’t face their commute. Nearly half (48%) of respondents indicated that commuting has a significant impact on job satisfaction, and 32% said they took the commute into consideration when they chose their current job.   

According to a press release, 15% said they would change jobs to shorten their commute, and 11% feel their commute negatively impacts their work-life balance.   

If they didn’t have to spend time commuting, 50% of workers said they would sleep later. Forty-two percent said they would relax; 33% said they would spend time with family; and 28% said they would exercise.  

The survey found 45% of adults who commute to work spend less than 30 minutes; 32% spend 30-59 minutes; and 16% spend one to less than two hours. Seven percent of adults who commute to work said their longest commute clocked in at five hours or more; 30% said it was more than two hours; and 31% said it was one to less than two hours.   

Few adults who commute to work (6%) are paid for the time they spend commuting. The press release said only 14% of adults who commute to work have the option of working from home, but among those who don’t have this option, 27% said they feel that given the necessary technology, they could do so effectively.