Teleworking will save an estimated 36 million kilometers of commuting this year. This is according to a survey of 3 750 Belgian workers conducted by the FPS Mobility. One in three Belgians says they telework at least one day a week.

Teleworking, a new work habit since the coronavirus crisis, would also change mobility habits since nearly 30% of Belgian workers would be more motivated to use public transport or the bicycle to get to work.

Most popular in Brussels

The greater the distance, the more teleworkers, according to the survey conducted between October 2022 and May 2023. Most people living more than 50 km from work telework at least one day a week. Thanks to teleworking, 36 million km could be saved daily in 2023, compared to 9,3 million in 2018, or 14 million last year.

Yet Brussels residents telecommute most often (42%). Slightly more than one in three Flemings (33%) telecommute at least one day a week; for the Walloons, the figure is 29%. Typically, teleworkers work from home one or two days a week, preferably on Mondays (40%), Wednesdays (47%), or Fridays (49%).

Train popular with teleworkers

The survey also shows that 45% of teleworkers receive an average allowance of 46 euros per month. Most teleworkers (70%) have a laptop and a headset (52%), which were paid for by the employer. However, very few of them have a table, an office chair, or a screen.

By teleworking, workers would be more motivated to use public transport instead of the car to get to work (29%) or to cycle (31%). Teleworking would also make someone more tolerant of the inconveniences of traveling on foot or by bike (for 37% of the respondents) or using public transport (for 29% of respondents).

Another striking result: more teleworkers take the train than non-teleworkers, 70% versus 30%.

Six in ten may not telework

Slightly more than six in ten respondents in Flanders (63%) say their employer does not allow them to telecommute. In Wallonia, that percentage is even higher (68%).  Finally, teleworking is also changing certain consumer habits. The number of shopping and service-related trips does increase among teleworkers in the survey, by 35 and 31%, respectively.

Around a third of respondents would now shop during the week and during the day rather than in the evening, at weekends, or on days off. The main benefits of teleworking cited by the respondents are the time savings associated with commuting and the better work-life balance. In turn, the most discouraging factors are the loss of social contact and rising energy costs.

The survey notes that telework’s positive impact on mobility needs to be qualified by possible rebound effects. For example, the distance between work and home may increase.