One in four Indians can take pay cut to travel less for work: report

Mumbai: With commuting to work becoming a major concern for professionals due to clogged roads and lack of public transport, a survey has revealed that most Indians (78 per cent) desire a shorter commute time, with 26 per cent even willing to take a pay cut for the same.

This sentiment of desiring a shorter commute was the highest in India amongst 11 countries globally, according to the survey by professional networking firm LinkedIn.

While almost half of the Indians (48 per cent) said that their commute time has increased in the past one year, around 60 per cent felt their city transportation systems frequently delay them to office, both the factors being highest amongst the countries surveyed.

"The daily commute is a pain-point for most professionals in India. Lack of access to essential information pertaining to skills, referrals, job applications and commute time, can often be a roadblock to finding new opportunities," said Deepa Sapatnekar, head of communications for India, LinkedIn.

Around 47 per cent of the Indians felt more productive at work with a shorter commute time, and 48 per cent preferred a shorter commute so that they don't get tired. However, almost half of them (42 per cent) said they would be willing to consider longer commute if it meant an increase of more than 20 per cent in their income.

Further, the survey revealed that 33 per cent would opt for a longer commute if given transportation, a promotion, or title increase. While 40 per cent said they can travel far off for the right job, 31 per cent felt they could compromise on shorter commute if they worked for a brand they admired.

The survey revealed that with the time saved from commuting, 36 per cent like to utilise it for exercising, health and fitness. The survey represents opinions of LinkedIn's working professionals on their commute in 11 countries across the globe, including India.