Worker Says It’s Unhinged To Require Employees To Drive To Work Every Day — ‘Commuting To An Office Is Not Productive’
It's time to leave commuting where it belongs: in the past.
cottonbro studio / Pexels Every generation witnesses societal change, from the clothes we wear to the technology we use. These changes affect how we interact with one another, impacting how we live out our days and how we spend our time.
The workplace is a prime example of how quickly change can occur, especially over the past few years, as offices closed and working from home became the norm.
But back-to-office mandates and hybrid schedules are in full swing, once again rearranging how workers get their jobs done.
One worker believes it’s unhinged to require employees to drive to work every day.
Kyyah Abdul recorded her anti-commuting manifesto from her car after she’d sat in traffic for hours because she had to physically go to an office for work.
“I left for work at 6:45, and it is 9:53,” she said. “I’m just getting here because there was so much traffic, and there were two accidents because people don’t know how to drive in California when there’s a little drizzle-drazzle, a little rain.”
Aside from coining a lovely new term for weather, Abdul also captured one of the many downsides of making workers go back to the office.
The time she spent in traffic could have been time she spent getting actual work done, all due to the outdated idea that working from home isn’t as effective.
Studies have proven, time and time again, that people are productive when they work from the comfort of their own homes while also seeing positive benefits to their mental health.
Anthony Shkraba / Pexels
The flexibility and inner peace that come with working from home can’t really be overstated, yet bosses are still holding tight to the idea that employees need to show up to the office.
Yet experiences like Abdul’s prove otherwise.
‘There is no way that employers really think requiring people to commute to the office is productive,’ she said.
“Is productivity in the room with us?” Abdul asked. “I’ve missed two meetings because I was sitting in my car on the road for three hours.”
“I couldn’t do this every day,” she declared. “There’s no way.”
People in the comments stood firmly by her, agreeing that forcing employees to drive to work is both outdated and a living logistical nightmare.
“Commuting will be one of our generations ‘Can you believe they made people do that?’ in the future,” one person said.
Another person expressed dismay over the high cost of commuting, as driving to work “wastes so much expensive gas.”
California has the highest gas prices in the U.S., as one gallon of gas costs an average of $4.87.
Abdul shared that she bills for gas and time, which she’s able to do because she’s a consultant, yet not all workers have that option.
As the cost of living continues to skyrocket, going into the office taxes workers just for doing their jobs.
cottonbro studio / Pexels
Small things make a difference when it comes to staying within budget and working from home allows people to reap those advantages.
In addition to saving money on gas, working remotely allows people to eat lunch at home, throw a load of laundry in and generally live a more balanced existence.
Some experts believe forcing people back into offices has less to do with worker productivity and more to do with real estate, a theory that holds water.
If employers truly wanted to put their workers first, they’d listen to feedback and understand that it’s beyond time for commuting to join fax machines and dial-up internet in the wreckage of what we’ve left behind.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.