One in four Indians willing to take pay cut to shorten travel to work

Around 47% of a survey’s Indian respondents felt more productive at work with a shorter commute time, and 48% preferred a shorter commute so they don’t get tired.

With commuting to work becoming a major concern for professionals due to clogged roads and lack of public transport, a survey has revealed that 78% Indians desire a shorter commute time, with 26% even willing to take a pay cut for a shorter distance to the workplace.

Huge crowd during rush hour at Parel Railway Station in Mumbai. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

The desire for a shorter commute was the highest in India, among 11 countries globally, according to the survey by professional networking firm LinkedIn.

While almost half of the Indian respondents(48%) said that their commute time has increased in the past one year, around 60% felt their city transportation systems frequently delay them to office, both the factors being highest among 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% of the survey’s Indian respondents felt more productive at work with a shorter commute time, and 48% preferred a shorter commute so they don’t get tired.

However, almost half of them (42%) said they would be willing to consider a longer commute if it meant an increase of more than 20% in their income.

Further, the survey revealed that 33% would opt for a longer commute if given transportation, a promotion, or title increase.

While 40% said they can travel far off for the right job, 31% 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% 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.