Could Free Commutes Bring Remote Workers Back?

For the many challenges the pandemic brought, it revolutionized white collar work in adding the option of remote work. Hybrid schedules allow workers to cut down on overall commute time, effectively giving back time in the day. So now that companies want people back in the office, both the time and cost tied to commuting are leaving workers disgruntled.

Commuting Costs

Whether it’s paying for the train, the subway, the bus, or gas for your car, commuting costs money. On average, commuting costs Americans $5,748.05 per year, according to the Chamber of Commerce . Some cities are well above the nationwide average though: In San Francisco, commuting costs as much as $12,650.66 per year on average, in part due to sitting in bad traffic.

Even though some employers offer ways to help pay for these costs, they factor into people’s calculations when it comes to returning to the office. In addition to the financial cost, long commutes can affect overall wellbeing, and add stress.

More than eight out of ten workers say if their employers paid for their commute, they would be more encouraged to return to the office, according to a survey by staffing company Ringover.

Whether this is changing the way companies look at benefits remains to be seen. The pandemic had a massive impact on American office workers, so more change is not inconceivable.

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