Belgian workers have the longest commuting times and distances of any nation in the European Union, according to a study by European human resources specialist SD Worx, published Friday.
On average, workers in Belgium travel 39 km to their workplace. The maximum distance they are willing to cover on their commute was found to be 48 km. In terms of time, Belgians spend a total of 53 minutes each day making the journey to and from work.
Whilst personal choices impact commuting times, multiple external factors also influence the journey. For instance, the availability of transport, road infrastructure, the location of affordable housing, or the geographical concentrations of companies.
"It is important to note that in Belgium there is often an obligation for the employer to contribute financially to the costs associated with commuting," explained Veerle Michiels, a mobility expert at SD Worx.
Lost time
While two-thirds of Belgians feel satisfied with the distance of their commute, one in five is still unhappy with how long it takes them to travel. About one in three Belgians "consider [commutes] to be a waste of time, partly because they cannot use this time in a productive way," Michiels said.
According to the study, the majority of Belgians (77%) feel they are unable to work on their commute – significantly more than countries like Ireland (22%), the UK (20%), or Poland (19%).
Michiels further noted that willingness to travel increases when there is a smooth connection to public transport and people are more able to do work while on the move.
Although Belgians are relatively willing to commute, the dissatisfaction that some staff have should not be taken lightly by employers. "This may influence whether someone stays in their job. While the main factor in choosing a job remains the salary, accessibility and distance also play a role." A response to this could be allowing greater flexibility to work from home, Michiels suggests.
Around nine in ten Belgians commute to work regularly, slightly above the European average. But not commuting regularly is also quite rare.
18,000 employees from 18 different EU countries were surveyed in February 2024 for the annual study. The survey includes 1,000 workers from Belgium. The data was weighted to be representative of the Belgian labour market.
