Hybrid working is playing a role in cutting emissions due to reduced commutes with commuting into the office five days a week down 36 per cent since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey by IWG.
In Canada, the widespread adoption of hybrid work is reducing Canadian workers’ impact on the environment, noted the research, which found 73 per cent of employees saying reduced commutes are key to fighting climate change.
The research also found a third (32 per cent) of respondents said they’d refuse to commute five days a week and 41 per cent of hybrid or remote workers said they’re concerned their employers will ask them to return to the office full time sometime in 2022. More than two-thirds (67 per cent) said they’d like their employers to offer a workspace within 15 minutes of their home.
Read: Canadian employees want short commutes, flex work post-pandemic: survey
In addition to the environmental advantages of hybrid working, 85 per cent of hybrid workers said commuting less has allowed them to save money, 84 per cent said hybrid working has improved their work-life balance and 64 per cent said commuting less allows them to be more productive.
“It’s not often that business practices are widely agreed to be beneficial for employers, employees and the environment, but that’s what we’re seeing with hybrid working,” said Wayne Berger, chief executive officer of IWG Americas, in a press release. “Ultimately, by adopting hybrid working, businesses save money, gain flexibility and reduce their carbon footprint, while employees spend less time and money traveling — without losing the social aspect of office life. It’s a textbook example of ‘triple bottom line’ sustainability: a win for people, profits and the planet.”
Read: Using transportation benefits to help ease employees’ commutes