Why Are We Commuting for 80 Minutes of Face Time?
In a world where many can work remotely, a peculiar frustration has emerged among employees, in the public and private sectors alike: the requirement to commute to the office only to spend the day on tasks that could easily be performed from home. A significant body of research, including the recent Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (SWAA), reveals that employees spend a surprisingly small portion of their office day on in-person activities, raising questions about the efficiency and necessity of office mandates.
Face Time in the Office Vs. WFH
The SWAA, conducted by prominent flexible work scholar Nick Bloom and his colleagues Jose Maria Barrero, Shelby Buckman, and Steven J. Davis, provides a comprehensive look into the daily activities of employees both at home and in the office. This monthly survey of 2,500 to 10,000 US residents aged 20 to 64 reveals a stark reality: on a typical office day, employees spend only about 80 minutes on in-person activities. The remainder of their time is devoted to tasks such as video conferencing, emailing, and using communication tools like Slack—tasks that are equally manageable from the comfort of their homes.
The accompanying data highlights this inefficiency vividly. When working from home, employees spend an average of 0.6 hours in face-to-face meetings, 1.3 hours on video or phone calls, 1.5 hours on text or email conversations, 3.3 hours on individual work, and 1.1 hours on downtime. In contrast, when working in the office, they spend only 80 more minutes, or 1.3 hours, in face-to-face meetings. They spend 0.6 hours on video or phone calls, 0.9 hours on text or email conversations, 3.1 hours on individual work, and 1.1 hours on downtime. The minimal difference in the distribution of face-to-face meetings between home and office settings underscores that they don’t need to commute for tasks that can be effectively handled remotely.
The data on commuting is compelling. A survey by Hubble found that 79% of respondents liked working from home due to the lack of a commute. According to a survey by Zebra, 35% of Americans would be willing to take a pay cut in exchange for a shorter commute. The U.S. Census data from 2019 shows that about 10% of Americans commuted over an hour each way, mainly those living in dense urban areas. On average, Americans commute a half-hour each way. Moreover, commuting to work costs a lot of money. According to a Flexjobs analysis, employees can save up to $12,000 per year by working full-time remotely. Peer-reviewed research found that longer commute times correlate with lower job satisfaction, increased strain, and poorer mental health.
Restructuring Office Activities for Face Time
The solution to this inefficiency is not to eliminate office days altogether but to rethink their structure and purpose. Office days should be reserved for activities that genuinely benefit from in-person interaction. Team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and collaborative projects are prime examples of tasks that can thrive in a face-to-face environment. By concentrating these activities on designated office days, companies can ensure that employees’ time spent commuting is worthwhile.
Flexible work arrangements, which include both remote and hybrid models, have demonstrated numerous benefits. These include increased productivity, improved mental health, and greater job satisfaction. When employees are given the autonomy to choose where they work, they are more likely to feel valued and trusted, leading to higher morale and reduced turnover rates. Flexibility also allows for a more inclusive workforce, accommodating those with caregiving responsibilities, health issues, or other constraints that make daily commuting challenging.
For organizations looking to optimize their work models, several strategies can be implemented to enhance the effectiveness of flexible work policies. First, clear communication is essential. Clearly articulate the expectations and objectives for both remote and office work. Ensure that employees understand the purpose of office days and the benefits of in-person collaboration.
Second, schedule in-person activities that require face-to-face interaction on specific days. This could include team-building exercises, project kick-offs, and strategy sessions.
Third, leverage technology to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration between remote and in-office employees. Invest in tools that support hybrid work environments, such as advanced video conferencing systems and collaborative software.
Lastly, regularly solicit feedback from employees regarding their experiences with remote and office work. Use this feedback to refine and adjust policies to better meet their needs and improve overall satisfaction.
The frustration of commuting to the office only to engage in tasks that could be done remotely is a significant concern for many employees. The data from the SWAA underscores the inefficiency of current office mandates and highlights the need for a strategic rethink of work arrangements. By focusing on meaningful in-person interactions and allowing employees to work from home for tasks that do not require their physical presence, organizations will reduce unnecessary commuting, increase productivity, and enhance employee well-being. This balanced approach not only addresses the frustration of commuting for unproductive office days but also positions businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving work environment.
Key Take-Away
Face time frustrations arise as employees commute to the office for tasks easily done from home, underscoring the need to rethink office days for meaningful in-person activities only. Share on XImage credit: Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels
Dr. Gleb Tsipursky was lauded as “Office Whisperer” and “Hybrid Expert” by The New York Times for helping leaders use hybrid work to improve retention and productivity while cutting costs. He serves as the CEO of the boutique future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts. Dr. Gleb wrote the first book on returning to the office and leading hybrid teams after the pandemic, his best-seller Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams: A Manual on Benchmarking to Best Practices for Competitive Advantage (Intentional Insights, 2021). He authored seven books in total, and is best know for his global bestseller, Never Go With Your Gut: How Pioneering Leaders Make the Best Decisions and Avoid Business Disasters (Career Press, 2019). His cutting-edge thought leadership was featured in over 650 articles and 550 interviews in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, USA Today, CBS News, Fox News, Time, Business Insider, Fortune, and elsewhere. His writing was translated into Chinese, Korean, German, Russian, Polish, Spanish, French, and other languages. His expertise comes from over 20 years of consulting, coaching, and speaking and training for Fortune 500 companies from Aflac to Xerox. It also comes from over 15 years in academia as a behavioral scientist, with 8 years as a lecturer at UNC-Chapel Hill and 7 years as a professor at Ohio State. A proud Ukrainian American, Dr. Gleb lives in Columbus, Ohio. In his free time, he makes sure to spend abundant quality time with his wife to avoid his personal life turning into a disaster. Contact him at Gleb[at]DisasterAvoidanceExperts[dot]com, follow him on LinkedIn @dr-gleb-tsipursky, Twitter @gleb_tsipursky, Instagram @dr_gleb_tsipursky, Facebook @DrGlebTsipursky, Medium @dr_gleb_tsipursky, YouTube, and RSS, and get a free copy of the Assessment on Dangerous Judgment Errors in the Workplace by signing up for the free Wise Decision Maker Course at https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/newsletter/.