More than three quarters (76%) of Londoners would quit their job because of their commute, according to a new report from Totaljobs which reveals how attitudes towards travelling into the office have shifted.
As weather-related disruption takes its toll on the hybrid working world, the study of more than 2,000 nationally representative people has found that half (54%) of the UK would do the same.
This is particularly high among younger workers, with 70% of both Gen Z and Millennials across the UK prepared to quit if their commute cannot not fit their lifestyles.
Over 70% of workers have seen their employer mandate a return to the physical workplace. While half (49%) of UK workers looked forward to physically returning to their workplace, after months building new and more flexible work habits, it’s clear that workers across the UK have seriously reassessed their priorities.
The duration of a commute was the top reason for many workers wanting to make a change (38%), more than both the cost of travel (29%) and the toll on the journey takes on their mental health (36%).
While a return to the workplace is essential for many businesses, the findings suggest employers should consider how best to engage their staff: over a quarter of UK workers (25%) said they would quit if forced to return against their wishes. Londoners in particular are uncomfortable with this: 60% say the commute is a major obstacle to their safe return and almost half (44%) say they would quit because of it.
Commuting experiences also have a huge impact on our interest in a new job – one third (34%) of UK workers would very likely turn down a job offer if the commute clashed with their needs.
Working where you want
Totaljobs has taken steps to help take the pain out of people’s commute. With a new commute time filter, they can find the right job based on their own commuting preferences.
By entering their postcode or starting address, setting their maximum duration of commute, and how they would like to get to work – e.g., public transport, driving, cycling, or walking – people can use Totaljobs to find their dream commute.
The filter will then use those details to find best suitable jobs for them and their travel preferences. By combining this with a WFH filter, and the chances of finding the right job in the right place will be even higher.