19 Feb 2008

Daily Commuting Grind: A Sign of Uneasiness?

With commuting times increasing and rush hours lengthening, some employers allow employees to adjust their daily work schedule, giving them the flexibility to start work earlier or later in the day. A lot of today's employees leave their homes for their job much earlier than those in the workplace twenty years ago; it's not uncommon to find professionals who leave their homes at 5:30 a.m. or earlier in order to avoid being stuck in traffic.

For many employees, however, flex-time isn't a benefit. Some jobs have a set schedule or fixed office hours, due to the nature of the work. Enterprising employees still leave for work early to avoid rush hour, arriving early to their job and then utilizing cell phone alarms or other devices so they can sleep in their offices or cars until their normal 'start time.' The hours of inactivity wasted accomplishes little except the avoidance of traffic frustration. This leads to a lot of increased hours at work, but with a lower feeling of achievement. Such frustration can bring discontent and misery, which sours a person's emotional well-being.

Instances like this remind us of that old saying, "misery loves company." If you're not happy with your commute, you're not alone. Sacrificing productive personal time is never a good long-term solution, so as you plot your next career move - or even in just evaluating your current job satisfaction - make sure you consider your commuting time commitment in any decisions you make.

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