How to tell if your commute is too long

How to tell if your commute is too longHow to tell if your commute is too longYour work commute matters.Large-scalestudiesindicate that ones satisfaction with commuting to work contributes to overall happiness. And, in general, long commute times areassociatedwith lower subjective well-being.But it turns out that length of commute is hardly the most important facet of commute satisfaction.In fact, occasionally workers wish their commutes werelonger.In onesample, while 52 percent commuted longer than theyd like, a solid 7 percent wished their commute were lengthier. Among commuters who pined for shorter transit times, only a few wanted to eliminate their commute altogether.So how long is too long to get to work? The answer, research suggests, depends on factors besides length.Age does matterFor one, peoples satisfaction with their commutes depends on their age. The younger you are, the mora likely you are todespise your commute. This could be a generational thing, or it could be a tra nsition thing. Young workers used to walking to class may have a hard time adjusting to a long, chaotic real world commute.Commute satisfaction also depends onhowyoure commuting. Urban workers traveling by bus or train tend to have longer commutes than car commuters, but enjoy their commutesmore. And while just one in six workers enjoy their car commute, more than half of commuters who walk or bike to workenjoy it. They may like the physical exercise, as well as the peaceful, active buffer between work and home.How long is too long for walkers and bikers?Evidencefrom school commuters suggests that 2.5 miles is usually the max distance walkers and cyclists are willing to cover each day. In fact, one kununu reviewer who worked at State Farm didnt even binnensee his quick commute as a true commute It was only 2 miles from my apartment so no commute, he wrote.How satisfied people are with their commutes also depends on ease of the commute, not just length. Easy commute from train one CD W employee wrote, with no complaints. By contrast, employees at Learn Charter School and Rosina Food Products wrote that their offices werent on main transportation fairways, which made commuting difficult and frustrating.Satisfaction with your commute even depends on how itcomparesto that of your friends and coworkers. When we perceive our commutes as better than others, were more likely to be satisfied.FlexibilityFinally, perhaps the most important component of commute satisfaction is employer flexibility. Commuters granted flextime by their employers- that is, flexibility on when they have to arrive at work and when they can leave- are significantly more satisfied with their commutes than employees given no such leeway. They alsoreportless stress and time urgency during their commutes. For many people, onestudysums, the key to happiness is being able to make the routines of everyday life work. Indeed, the degree to which one can mesh all of lifes daily obligations and minimize c onflicting hassles has a huge effect on life satisfaction.kununu reviews support this data.What the data saysSeveral employees who wrote anonymously on kununu noted that lengthy commutes leuchtdiode to no work-life balance. A Tesla Motors employee explained, I have no life. I commute a far distance and I have been unable to switch my working hours because my manager wont let me. Several other employees noted that their companies required that they get to work on time despite inclement weather. At Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, an employee was prohibited from changing her work hours by just 20 minutes so she could ride the city bus to work.Conversely, a Merck Co. employee who would otherwise have an hour and a half morning commute wrote, I like the fact that I can work from home most of the time and my manager personally is very understanding of this fact My manager requires me to show up at work only once or twice weekly which is very good for me.Flexible schedules accommodate unpre dictable commutes. One employee who worked at Digisonics in Houston and had no commuting or telecommuting flexibility wrote, My commute could take anywhere from 25 minutes to three hours, and it was hard to tell which itd be. So it was pretty hard for me to work there for that reason - and that reason only.In short, your satisfaction with your commute depends on a lot of things. And its important to remember that even long commutes arent automatically bad. Commuting is popularly viewed as a stressful, costly, time-wasting experience, onestudysummed. But, according to some research,more than halfof workers are relatively satisfied with their commutes, andover a thirdof workers actually enjoy their commutes. Others may not enjoy it, but they see its benefits, like mobility and a transition between work and life.If your commute is awful, consider whether its nonetheless outweighed by other perks. An employee at TGSV wrote, The only thing that bothered me was the commute but everything else compensated for the long drive.As oneregretful employee explained, Honda was the best place I have ever worked and I would go back in a heartbeat. I left due to a long commute. But I have found that it is a small price to pay for all of the other benefits.This post was originally published on Kununu.com.