The number of commuters in Germany rose to a record level last year. This is according to a new analysis by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) in Bonn. In 2016, 60 percent of all employees across Germany commuted to work in another municipality - in 2000, the figure was 53 percent. The commute to work has also become longer: from an average of 14.6 kilometers in 2000 to 16.8 kilometers in 2015.
 

Commuting causes exhaustion

The trend towards more and longer commutes is increasing the strain on employees' health and the potential for stress. This is because "the longer the commute, the greater the stress, also because there is less time to regenerate," says Simon Pfaff from the Federal Institute for Population Research in Wiesbaden.

This is also confirmed by health insurance studies. For example, a 2012 study by Techniker Krankenkasse shows that commuters have an increased risk of mental illness.
 

Home office as a solution?

It makes sense to see home office offers as a simple solution to the increasing commuter dilemma. Thanks to modern technology, employers can now offer their employees a wide range of options to flexibly choose their working hours and location.

However, the effect of home or mobile office options on employees' subjective stress levels depends heavily on whether employees can adapt their working hours and place of work to their private needs. This is shown, among other things, by evaluations of the European Working Condition Survey (2015).
 

It all depends on the work culture!

However, a high degree of self-determination of work location and working hours is no guarantee of a better work-life balance. This is because the technology-driven possibilities of spatial and temporal flexibility increase the risk of completely blurring the boundaries between work and private life, especially for people who are professionally committed. This is why guidelines and role models for a balanced approach to flexibility are of great importance, especially in companies with a high degree of autonomy at work.
 

Sources:

Eurofound and the International Labor Office (2017), Working anytime, anywhere: The effects on the world of work, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, and the International Labor Office, Geneva.

Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) (2017), "Evaluation of commuter behavior in Germany", Bonn.

Techniker Krankenkasse (2016), "TK-Stressstudie 2016. Entspann Dich, Deutschland", Hamburg.

Eurofound (2016), "Sixth European Working Conditions Survey 2015: Overview report", Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

Techniker Krankenkasse (2012), "Gesundheitsreport 2012. Mobilität, Flexibilität, Gesundeit", Hamburg.