Employee Happiness = Short Commute

The Frontal Cortex blog has a post that’s not designated as HR- or employment-related but should be. It doesn’t relate only to the happiness of employees, but it deals with a subject that has a lot to do with employee happiness: the daily commute. The inherently unpredictable flow of traffic ruins the day — possibly every day. In fact, Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert is quoted as saying, “Driving in traffic is a different kind of hell every day.”

Labeled “the commuters paradox,” underestimating the pain of a long commute is a common human weakness. We almost always trade a bigger, more affordable house for a longer commute — only to live in deep regret two or three hours per day. That’s a self-inflicted employee problem, right? Completely out of an employer’s control?

Maybe, but since we know that a long commute makes our employees miserable and that they are powerless to deal with it on their own, it’s worth an employer’s careful consideration. Eliminate, reduce or ease your employees’ commute time, and you make your workforce happier and presumably more productive.

Some employers facilitate carpools or operate company vans that pick-up employees at a designated location near the employee’s home. That makes it possible for employees to read, sleep, interact with co-workers or make use of their time in a way other than sitting behind a steering wheel stuck in traffic. They’re more likely to arrive at work thinking happy thoughts than thoughts about road rage. Though some employers continue to recoil at the notion, telecommuting makes a lot of sense for certain employees, depending on their job and their employer’s technology. For other ideas, click here.

Think about it — hard. Instant employee happiness is difficult to achieve. Here’s a way, often overlooked, to work magic.