ABSTRACT
With continuing advancements in technology, the workplace is evolving, with employers and employees looking at how they can work smarter and more flexibly. This chapter considers how our commute impacts on our mental health and our physical health. It considers this in relation to those who commute regularly and those who have more flexible working patterns where a commute is less regular. Looking at rates of flexible working in 2010 within the European Union, employees in Finland were most likely to have some flexibility in working time arrangements, with those from Hungary being the least likely to have flexibility. To support physical activity, allowing employees the flexibility of structuring their day by avoiding a rush-hour commute may enable workers to undertake activities that support healthier lifestyles. Flexible working has been recognised as a way of reducing time spent during commuting, with almost 60 percent of commuters reporting that working remotely helps to increase productivity, improve job satisfaction, and reduce stress.
