A new report shows that professionals and students based in Ireland highly value organisations and institutions with convenient commutes.
Time-poor, environmentally conscious and digitally-savvy are three phrases that the recent Kinto Join Ireland on the Move Report uses to describe the current generations in Ireland’s workplaces and universities.
In partnership with Censuswide, sustainable commuting solutions provider Kinto Join surveyed 1,000 people based in Ireland, commuting to work or university. The survey shone a light on a number of key trends and patterns in Irish attitudes towards commuting and its effect on overall workplace satisfaction.
What was discovered is that more than one-third (35pc) of survey participants are actively looking for alternative work that offers a more favourable commute. Additionally, particularly post-pandemic, as a result of more flexible working models, there is a rising expectation that working life is more agile.
Almost two-thirds (65pc) of respondents said they were more likely to stay in a job with more favourable commuting options, while 68pc said that they would actually turn down a job opportunity if the commute was too long.
Carpooling, reduced transport costs and free shuttle bus services were raised as potential solutions to an awkward commute.
According to Patrizia Niehaus, the CEO of Kinto Join, “Commuters in Ireland clearly care about how they travel to work, with many making career decisions with this in mind. However, they lack choice and support. In turn, organisations are potentially missing out on the best talent and undermining their own sustainability objectives.
“They might not realise it yet, but business leaders have the power to facilitate more sustainable journeys for both their people and their companies. From shuttle buses to staff rewards, these micro-level actions can have macro-level impact.”
Sustainability
The report indicates that Irish employees feel that leadership could be more flexible when it comes to mitigating the stress associated with commuting into work or college. More than half (51pc) said that there is pressure to go into the office, with 42pc of people experiencing difficulties balancing their professional and personal responsibilities as a result of their commute.
Almost 40pc of survey participants believe that their workplace or university has an obligation to meet certain sustainability goals and regulations, with a further 60pc stating a commitment to commuting solutions could be a significant part of that drive for sustainability.
“This is one area where action could be, but perhaps isn’t being, taken and more importantly an area which could have a significant impact. Taking this one step further, more than a fifth (22pc) think employers or educational institutes should be responsible for their commuting emissions,” the report notes.
Arguably, there is room for improvement in this area, as only 26pc of commuters are under the impression that their work or university is doing enough to meet sustainability targets and regulations.
According to the report, this highlights a clear gap between the expectations of commuters and the actions of their organisations, with 36pc of respondents feeling that employers and institutions should incentivise sustainable travel.
Room for growth?
The report cited a number of areas in which participants believe organisational and institutional leadership can incentivise green travel. For example, 46pc of people said that if their place of work or study was to offer flexible hours, they would consider changing their means of transport.
Additionally, tax reduction schemes (37pc), extra time off from work (36pc), reward point programmes (29pc) and complimentary refreshments (29pc) all arose as attractive incentives to consider more sustainable and eco-friendly forms of commuting.
“Engagement is therefore crucial across the board when it comes to bringing about more sustainable commuting in Ireland. People have to engage by raising frustrations, trying new methods and embracing such initiatives,” the report notes.
“Similarly, organisations need to engage by educating, supporting and rewarding people. Doing this enables commuters to have more choice, organisations to be more responsible and the planet to be more protected.”
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