SD Worx study: ‘Long commute is no reason to change jobs’

According to a study by HR service provider SD Worx among 1 000 working Belgians, commuting is not a reason to change employers. However, some people have a very long morning and evening commute.

Those who live in East Flanders spend the longest time commuting (daily average of 59 minutes), followed by those living in Flemish and Walloon Brabant.

People living in Flemish Brabant are the most mobile compared to other Belgian employees: 62% work in their own province, 25% in Brussels, and 8% in Antwerp. Regarding commuting time, Antwerp residents sit in fourth place, and the Brussels Capital Region completes the top five. Those living in Brussels usually take less time to get to and from work because they travel fewer kilometers (28 km on average, there and back).

On average, Belgians spend 50 minutes per day commuting, and the average distance they cover is 40 km; most live and work in the same province. Employment is highest in Brussels, so the capital attracts most commuters from other provinces/sdworx.com, who often travel more kilometers.

Culture and mindset

Distance from work certainly plays a role – it is in the top five reasons for choosing an organization (and in sixth place for leaving it). However, there is no connection between distance and travel time on the one hand and the intention to change employer on the other. Most employees who travel more than one and a half hours a day commuting (78%) are not interested in changing.

Kathleen Jacobs, SD Worx: “It is not so much the objective distance or commuting time that determines the intention to leave. Culture and mindset within the company also play a role.” Most people are not interested in leaving the organization if they get a lot of autonomy and freedom of choice.