Changes in working styles during the COVID-19 pandemic [Commuting]

Two years have already passed since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and our lives and work styles have undergone various changes.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2018, the "Work Style Reform (related bills)" was passed in the Diet, making it easier for workers to choose diverse working styles according to their individual circumstances.
Then, in Japan, the COVID-19 pandemic began around January 2020, forcing companies to recommend remote work, which in some ways led to significant progress in work-style reform.
Amidst these changes in working styles, this time we will look at "commuting," which affects both workers and companies.

Changes in attitudes towards commuting

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies adopted remote work and staggered work hours as measures to reduce the risk of infection among employees.
As a result, many people have come to experience a life without commuting time or commuting on trains that aren't overcrowded.
According to data from the Nissei Basic Research Institute, the average one-way commute time in Aichi Prefecture, where our head office is located, is 36.2 minutes, meaning the round trip takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Furthermore, preparation time before commuting is also necessary, and according to a survey by Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd., the most common amount of time spent on preparation is "30 minutes to less than 1 hour," at 37.8%.
This survey is based on questionnaires given to working women in their 20s to 40s, so we can't take it at face value, but it seems that the average time spent commuting, including preparation time, is between 1.5 and 2.5 hours.
A lifestyle without commuting time (remote work) can be said to have "created 1.5 to 2.5 hours of extra time" for workers.
This is a big change, isn't it?
In fact, various surveys on the benefits of remote work consistently rank "reduced commuting stress" as the top reason.
However, on the other hand, there are stresses unique to remote work.
A survey revealed that many people experience difficulties with work-related communication and stress related to their living environment, such as having to work in their living room.
Furthermore, some people are experiencing feelings of loneliness due to stress from factors such as "having few opportunities to speak up" and "difficulty communicating outside of work (casual conversation)."
As a result, we've heard comments from employees like, "Coming to the office occasionally helps me to switch gears♪"
Speaking of commuting, Yahoo! Japan made headlines when it announced it would remove restrictions on employees' place of residence and transportation expenses.
I was surprised that they even removed the 150,000 yen tax-free limit for transportation expenses.
Yahoo has taken a rather bold step in easing restrictions, but all companies are making adjustments, to a greater or lesser extent, to adapt to changes in work styles and commuting methods.

Increased demand for bicycles

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread and drag on, bicycles have been re-evaluated as a means of transportation.
This trend seems to have been partly due to people switching to cycling to avoid taking the train.
Furthermore, with the declaration of a state of emergency preventing people from going to their usual gyms, there seems to have been an increase in people taking up sports cycling, such as road bikes and mountain bikes, as a hobby for health improvement. As a result, bicycle sales reached an all-time high in 2020.
In fact, due to the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there seems to be an increase in demand for sports bicycles not only in Japan but also globally, and shortages and delivery delays are still occurring.
Thus, in addition to bicycles that are convenient for commuting, the demand for sports bicycles, which are highly valued as a hobby, is rapidly expanding.

Employee benefits related to commuting by bicycle

When a state of emergency is declared, our company switches to remote work or staggered work hours, but under normal circumstances, most of our staff come to the office.
One change we've seen is an increase in the number of employees choosing to commute by bicycle.
I actually commute by bicycle myself, and I feel it's a great way to get some exercise and is an excellent way to avoid crowded public transportation.
On the other hand, there is a risk of bicycle accidents, so the company recommends using public transportation, but we also want to support it from the perspective of health and hobbies.
Therefore, we considered whether we could support commuting by bicycle as a form of employee benefit. First, we decided to contract for a bicycle parking space through the company and cover the cost (parking fee).
It's nothing extravagant, just a lovely employee benefit.
However, there are companies that provide a bicycle commuting allowance.
Considering the risk of accidents, we encourage the use of public transportation and provide appropriate transportation allowances to those who use public transportation, so we don't go so far as to offer a bicycle commuting allowance.

As a side note, currently, more than half of prefectures require bicycle insurance.
Therefore, we recommend that bicycle commuters in the relevant municipalities take out bicycle insurance and submit their insurance policy.

Employee benefits tailored to the needs of our employees?!

By the way, speaking of employee benefits, our company previously had an "employee benefits service" in place.
This program offers discounts and special offers on various services such as travel, leisure facilities, and restaurants, and I imagine many companies have implemented it.
However, at our company, no one used it for several years after we introduced it...
From a company's perspective, it might be a worthwhile expense in terms of recruitment costs, as it only costs a little over 1,000 yen per month and can be included in the employee benefits section of job advertisements.
However, from the perspective of our employees, it may not have been very appealing or easy to use.
I felt that instead of offering perfunctory employee benefits that are hardly ever used, we need to consider flexible employee benefits that respond to changes in the social circumstances surrounding our employees.

Employee benefits vary from company to company, but it might be a good idea to review them once in a while.
Unique employee benefits can sometimes be featured in press releases and picked up by the media, so I think they offer a good return on investment for the company.