As commuting becomes a significant factor for modern employees when considering their jobs, employers are having to make concessions.
As companies continue to evolve post-pandemic, many are cutting back on flexible and remote working. While there are multiple positives to operating in either an in-person or semi-flexible capacity, many still prefer working from their own homes.
In a recently published poll from recruitment company Robert Walters, figures have shown that commuting is becoming an increasingly relevant topic among Irish employees. The organisation surveyed 1,000 Irish professionals and determined that return-to-office mandates are creating a rift between employees and organisational leaders, particularly when it comes to enforced in-person working and the resources it takes to facilitate the commute.
Despite almost half (46pc) of professionals saying that commuting costs are a major consideration when looking into a new job – with 54pc saying it is the expense they would most like to be subsidised by their employer – 82pc of those surveyed revealed that they don’t receive any support.
Commenting on the findings, Suzanne Feeney, the country manager at Robert Walters Ireland, said hybrid-working has been a mainstay of working arrangements both globally and nationally since 2020. “However, over the last year we’ve noticed employers begin to turn their backs on this and request their staff commit more days to the office.
“Whereas the Work-Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act gave Irish professionals the right to request remote or hybrid working arrangements after six months of employment, some professionals may be considering this ‘right to ask’ more as a ‘right to receive’.”
Rising costs
According to the report, the number of ‘super commuters’ – professionals who travel at least 90 minutes to get to their place of work – rose during and after the pandemic, as hybrid models enabled employees to relocate away from major cities. However, data from the survey indicates more than a third (38pc) of people are unwilling to travel for longer than three-quarters of an hour.
“With delays and cancellations adding extra minutes and sometimes hours onto commutes, those who moved out of cities initially may be coming to regret their decisions, now faced with either having to seek new positions closer to home or take longer journeys to work for an increasing number of days each week,” said Feeney.
Previously, pre-pandemic commuting costs were considerably higher, demanding between 6pc to 10pc of an employee’s salary on average, but it has dropped significantly since then, standing at around 1pc to 5pc monthly. But with return-to-office mandates becoming more common and pressure being placed on employees to spend more time in the office, this could mean professionals are losing a larger portion of their earnings.
“The conversation around working arrangements is changing. Whilst some professionals may want to retain flexibility, others may be willing to spend more time in the office. Rather than firms engaging in traditional salary wars, this year, we could see companies compete by ramping up travel subsidies, flexibility or allowing staff to commute during off-peak periods to help counter rising costs.”
Keep it on the down low
While companies may be enforcing return-to-office policies, the Robert Walters survey shows that nearly half (43pc) of responding managers have said they are willing to offer employees a ‘hushed hybrid’ system, wherein managers would unofficially sign off on working arrangements outside of the standard policy.
By allowing staff to work flexibly in a hushed or even secret capacity, managers can delicately tow the line between employee expectations and demands from employers and higher ups. A potentially crucial step as the poll suggests 60pc of professionals would stay in a lower paying job if it offered greater flexibility, even if the alternative role offered a higher salary.
As noted by Feeney, “employers will need to reevaluate their attraction and retention strategies, figuring out what a ‘good employment offer’ means this year, especially to meet professionals’ increasingly diverse needs.”
Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.
