New Study Finds Commuting Costs at Center of Dispute Over Return-to-Office Mandates

Sixty percent of U.S. professionals cite commuting expenses as the most crucial cost to have subsidized by their employer, according to a new poll.

A general view of commuters and heavy transport vehicles traveling on the M1 freeway in Melbourne, Australia, on Aug. 6, 2020. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

Amid calls by corporations for workers to return to the office, a new study found that commuting costs are the biggest obstacle to achieving that goal.

A poll by global recruitment and staffing firm Robert Walters found that return-to-office mandates are creating a “travel rift” between employers and workers due to transportation costs, with 60 percent of U.S. professionals citing commuting expenses as the most crucial cost to have subsidized by their employers.