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Commute to work? Or not to commute to work? That is the question. It's more likely that your company has an established policy - fully in the office, hybrid, or remote. But then there's the super commuters. Once a dreaded term, but since remote working has been established, many are considering this option.
What are super commuters?
A super commuter is someone who has to travel more than 90 minutes to work one-way. It is increasingly common to find employees who work in a city, but who live outside the city or a village further away. Living close to work is becoming a trend of the past. If it is not necessary to go to the office, or it is only required on rare occasions and one can afford it. Remote work enables people, many for the first time, to choose where they want to live regardless of where their office is located or if there are nearby opportunities.
The number of super commuters has increased 31.7% since 2005, according to Apartment List. That’s 3.5 million Americans, about 2.9% of the workforce facing long days of public transport and driving just to get to and from work.
The new profile of super commuters
Historically, the workers doing these kinds of long-haul commutes have had a few things in common; they were often very senior or high knowledge workers in industries like tech, who were allowed to live far away and come in on occasion sometimes even by commuter flight services.
But now, super-commuting is evolving into something a bit different. Remote work has become far more normalized, even in industries where it was rare pre-pandemic.
For some people, that means living far from the office, potentially somewhere cheaper, and working a hybrid schedule, combining home working days with visits to the office – whether weekly, monthly or quarterly – with a significantly longer commute.
Data suggests many workers think this is a reasonable trade-off; 4.9 million Americans have moved since 2020 because remote work allowed them to do so, while more Australians moved out of major cities in 2021 than at any point in the last two decades.
The benefits of living in a place of your choice
It has innumerable benefits; and above all, the impact it has in health and in the balance between personal and professional life.
Being able to leave home and be in a desired place, where, for example, you’re able to ski or go to the beach, is something priceless. And on a psychological level, this helps to establish limits in terms of schedules and dedication. Work is also done in better conditions, avoiding burnout.
However, when necessary, you can always schedule a meeting with your work colleagues.
Plan in-person meeting easily, quickly, and efficiently
