{"id":18691,"date":"2021-06-22T15:50:55","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T19:50:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?p=18691"},"modified":"2021-06-22T17:00:35","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T21:00:35","slug":"in-defense-of-the-commute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/in-defense-of-the-commute\/","title":{"rendered":"In Defense of the Commute"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

Surely <\/em>your eyes are deceiving you. We\u2019re not about to make that<\/em> argument\u2026 are we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The benefits to remote work<\/a> are both clear and abundant\u2014those who work from home save time, save money, have a lighter carbon footprint, and can live pretty much wherever they want to. And that\u2019s only the start. Perhaps that\u2019s why, according to recent data<\/a> from Microsoft, over 70% of employees want flexible work options to continue, even after everyone can safely gather in person again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the fact remains that many executives are not willing to give up in-person collaboration, and that means many companies are beginning to call their employees back to the office. For some (though nobody we\u2019ve met), returning to the pre-pandemic normal will be a relief; for others, it\u2019ll feel like the dreaded first day of grade school after a liberating summer. Spending long subway rides slapped up against random sweaty bodies will only make those office stiffs long for that freedom even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But commutes can be good<\/em>! Sure, we might think of commutes a little differently as a company based in New York City\u2014for example, I used to walk to work every day. We know that\u2019s not everyone\u2019s reality, and that many commutes involve annoying traffic jams or tedious subway rides. But commutes force people to devote a certain portion of the day to transit, and this mindless travel time can be enriching, if you use it well. It\u2019s entirely possible to do these enriching activities for yourself if you work from home, but the fact is that this past year, many people didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, here are some things that we appreciate about commutes\u2014now, now, don\u2019t everyone rush the kiosk for monthly MetroCards all at once… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Clear Beginning and End<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The commute to the office unequivocally establishes the beginning and the end of the workday, which is something that many remote workers have trouble doing on their own. (Ask anyone who responds to your Slack messages at 10pm.) Indeed, the line between work and home was tremendously blurred during the pandemic. Research<\/a> from staffing firm Robert Half showed that 70% of employees that transitioned to remote work in 2020 started working over the weekend, and 45% of those surveyed said they were working more than they were before the start of the pandemic. The above survey from Microsoft also showed that over 50% of surveyed employees reported in 2020 that they felt overworked.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n