Tech professionals aren’t shy when it comes to expressing their need for better work-life balance. While they appreciate employers who offer flexible work hours, the option to telecommute is generally regarded as the ticket to a happier tech department. Dice recently surveyed nearly 2,000 tech professionals about a variety of topics, including their opinion of the school systems near their homes, the affordability of the local housing market, and the difficulty (or lack thereof) of their commute. While nearly half of those surveyed (49 percent) said their commute to work is fine, many expressed specific issues with getting to the office every morning, such as too much traffic and congestion (40 percent) or too far a distance to travel (31 percent). The prospect of a bad commute is so dreaded, in fact, that when asked what steps they’d take to earn a higher-paying job, more tech pros said they’d move to a different city (59 percent) than face a longer or worse commute (46 percent). The commute conundrum only intensifies in major cities. Washington, D.C.-based tech professionals said the congestion on their commute is too much (63 percent); in the New York City tristate area, 38 percent said their commute to work is too far. Dice surveys have found that, over time, more employers are offering benefits to keep tech pros engaged and happy. For companies debating whether to move offices, start by asking your teams what makes sense for their daily commutes; while the answers may not determine your final decision, they should at least inform it. Even if more than a quarter (27 percent) of tech pros believe that work-life balance is a myth, companies that go the extra mile to make their employees’ travels easier will come out ahead. *More findings from our survey will publish next month, so please stay tuned. Dice Report: Going the Commuting Distance
Tech professionals aren’t shy when it comes to expressing their need for better work-life balance. While they appreciate employers who offer flexible work hours, the option to telecommute is generally regarded as the ticket to a happier tech department. Dice recently surveyed nearly 2,000 tech professionals about a variety of topics, including their opinion of the school systems near their homes, the affordability of the local housing market, and the difficulty (or lack thereof) of their commute. While nearly half of those surveyed (49 percent) said their commute to work is fine, many expressed specific issues with getting to the office every morning, such as too much traffic and congestion (40 percent) or too far a distance to travel (31 percent). The prospect of a bad commute is so dreaded, in fact, that when asked what steps they’d take to earn a higher-paying job, more tech pros said they’d move to a different city (59 percent) than face a longer or worse commute (46 percent). The commute conundrum only intensifies in major cities. Washington, D.C.-based tech professionals said the congestion on their commute is too much (63 percent); in the New York City tristate area, 38 percent said their commute to work is too far. Dice surveys have found that, over time, more employers are offering benefits to keep tech pros engaged and happy. For companies debating whether to move offices, start by asking your teams what makes sense for their daily commutes; while the answers may not determine your final decision, they should at least inform it. Even if more than a quarter (27 percent) of tech pros believe that work-life balance is a myth, companies that go the extra mile to make their employees’ travels easier will come out ahead. *More findings from our survey will publish next month, so please stay tuned. 
