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WORKING TRENDZ
Extreme commuting tells on staff time, health
Pavani’s alarm goes off at 4 am. Forty-five minutes on she is done with her chores. Stealing a quick peek at the clock, she realises that she has just 15 minutes to get ready for work. She heads for a quick shower. Sharp at 5 am, she kisses the sleeping children goodbye and walks to the station to board the 5. 45 local train for her three hour commute from her home in the suburbs to her workplace in the city. “I spend almost six hours each day traveling to get
to work and back. On most days I get home by eight,” she says.
For Raju Balasingham, who works in an MNC, it is the other way round. He heads out from the city in his car for what he claims is an ’exhilarating’ two hour daily ride to the industrial suburb where his factory is located. Would he consider moving to the suburbs? “No way. I rather prefer the longer commute to relocating”, he replies.
To each, his own, it seems
With the sprawl of suburbs increasing with each passing year, there are millions of commuters who are travelling two hours plus each way to get to work and back. And believe it or not, given a choice between relocating and spending hours in travelling to work many of these people would actually choose extreme commuting.
Employers are finding it difficult to convince people to relocate to avoid extreme commuting. “It is easier to convince them to relocate to a different city or country, but ask them to shift base from the city to suburb or vice versa, and many would rather commute the longer distance than move closer to work,” says Sunil Mahalingam who takes care of relocation services in a leading BPO.
There has been a distinct shift in values in recent years, a growing distaste for city life for many, and the practicalities of having to accommodate a working spouse and school going children that makes the decision difficult.
Add to all this soaring real estate prices and rentals, most people find it practical to commute long distances rather than uproot their family for a new job or promotion. But they are slow to realise the real costs of the daily extreme commute.
Studies in America, where there are close to 3.4 million extreme commuters, show that they pay a high price for it. Gas guzzling cars and long distance travelling means spending a huge chunk of the salary on fuel and transportation costs. Besides their vehicles also wear out quickly.
But the physical and emotional wear out take a little longer to manifest. Long hours behind the wheel or in crowded buses and trains with high noise levels raise blood pressure, and cause workers to get sick and stay home more often. These people are more prone to headaches and chest pains, and likely to be psychologically stressed out from the hassles of traffic and lack of rest. Fatigue also leads to risk while driving, making them vulnerable to road accidents.
No wonder then that commuters are much less satisfied with their lives than non-commuters. Because of the emotional and physical battering they undergo each day, commuters tend to expect a better pay for their time at work. As one study points out, a person who travels for an hour each day would have to make 40 per cent more than his current salary to be as fully satisfied with his life as say someone who works close to home.
People tend to overrate the value of what they obtain by commuting - a better job, more money and savings on rentals as against what they lose- time, health and a social life. And when that realisation dawns, it leads to disappointment and frustration.
Can companies afford to ignore the fallout of extreme commuting? Not if they value their human resources and their business. So what can they do about it?
Encourage employees to relocate.
Remember it is not something that concerns the employee alone, and companies cannot afford to ignore the matter because the employee comes in on time and does his job well. It is better to provide help with relocation, even if it is only at a local level.
Consider the possibilities of alternative work options for the worker.
Flexi time, telecommuting or a compressed workweek could save employees the everyday stress of extreme commute and help him or her achieve better work-life balance.
At the end of the day, the worker will be happier and more productive working from home, or working flexi time. It is also better for the business; after all, a happy employee is a productive employee.
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BINDU SRIDHAR
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